My link to the anonymous nun's appreciation for "The Vagina Monologues" prompted a huge reader response, and the nun has written a new post addressing many reader points. She restates her own belief in the virgin birth. Money quote:
Lumen Gentium stated that "the birth of our Lord ... did not diminish his mother's virginal integrity but sanctified it."
We can see that the word 'integrity' is used when describing Mary's virginal state during the birth of Jesus. This word is defined as: an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting; from Latin integritatem (nom. integritas) 'soundness, wholeness;' the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. None of the Conciliar texts conclusively states how Mary remained a virgin during the birth of Jesus. This, then, opens up a variety of possibilities, just as the dogma regarding Mary's Assumption leaves open both the possibility that she did or did not die. These unknown details are not essential to our eternal salvation, are not central to our Faith as Catholics, and allow the mystery to unfold within the context of a deeply personal relationship with Christ. This room for interpretation is beautiful and empowering to women on their journey toward physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, sexual and spiritual integration, which is what The Vagina Monologues is trying to accomplish, albeit in a much more imperfect way.