Do Catholics believe Jesus had brothers and sisters?

Answer 1

Roman Catholic AnswerNo, this is one of the most common misconceptions that people have reading The Bible without the Church's guidance. Obviously, if Mary, Jesus' mother was taken up to heaven, at the end of her life, as a perpetual virgin, then she had no other children. The misunderstanding comes about through the translation of the word for "brothers" in the Bible. The Greek is translating a word in Hebrew that can be used for relatives of any degree, there is no separate word for cousin, for instance. The words used for brother (Greek adelphos), and brothers (adelphoi) can refer to any male relative from whom you are not descended as well as kinsmen such as cousins, those who are members of the family by marriage or by law rather than by blood, and even friends or mere political allies (cf. 2 Sam. 1:26; Amos 1:9) Lot is called Abraham's brother (Gen. 14:14) though actually his nephew. Jacob is called the brother of his uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15).

In addition, Mary's question in Luke 1:34 makes sense only if one assumes that she has made a vow of lifelong virginity, this is how all the Church fathers have always understood this. Similarly, the story of Jesus in the temple suggests that he was the only son of Mary and Joseph, the people of Nazareth referred to him as "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3), not as "a son of Mary".

Also, the attitude taken by the "brethren of the Lord" implies that they are his elders. Finally, at the foot of the cross, when dying, Jesus entrusts his mother to the apostle John, even though the Gospels mention four of his "brethren.

Answer 2

No. Jesus was an only child.

In another sense of the word, Catholics can refer to Jesus as a "brother" since he is a male member of our Human family.