The Council of Ephesus in 431 formally proclaimed the mother of Jesus as the Mother of God, and the church (basilica) of St Mary Major on the Esquiline Hill in Rome was built shortly afterwards to celebrate her motherhood. This is the oldest church in the West that is dedicated to Our Lady.
The title “Mother of God” may seem technical or even excessive; but it emphasizes the central truth of the Incarnation, that Jesus Christ was not only a true man, but God also; and not only God, but man born of a woman.
