Mary: Assumed bodily but not conceived immaculately?

[japhy]

In my efforts to recognize and understand the differences between my Catholic brethren and my Orthodox brethren, I came across this site (http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/reading/ortho_cath.html). It's not entirely accurate about Catholicism which makes me wonder if it it's accurate about Orthodoxy.

The particular issue is Mary. Here are a few excerpts, emphasis mine:
However, the Orthodox reject the Roman Catholic "dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary," which was defined as "of the faith" by Pope Pius IX, on the 8th of December 1854.
...
[Regarding Orthdox beliefs:] Receiving the Holy Spirit once more at Pentecost, she was able to die without sin. Because of her special role in the Divine Plan ("economy" or "dispensation"), she was taken into the heavens, body and soul. She now sits at the foot of her Son, making intercession for all those who implore her mercy. The Orthodox Church honors the miracle of her "assumption" with a feast on 15 August; likewise, the followers of the Pope.
...
Orthodoxy teaches that, after the soul leaves the body, it journeys to the abode of the dead (Hades). There are exceptions, such as the Theotokos, who was borne by the angels directly into heaven.
So my question is, what are the sources that do support Mary's assumption into heaven but don't support her immaculate conception? Thanks for any and all pointers. God bless.

[kamikat]

We reject the Immaculate Conception because we do not have the same understanding of Original Sin. In our belief, her Immaculate Conception would be unnecessary. Some sources will say that her Immaculate Conception doesn't really conflict with Orthodox belief, some sources are vehmently opposed to it.
from http://www.htaoc.com/faith/qa_roman.html

Why don't Orthodox believe in the Immaculate Conception?
Mary (like all of us) was born mortal as a result of the Fall, but without Adam's guilt. But for Roman Catholics, a "special" birth for Mary was necessary so that Christ could be born to a spotless vessel. So the Immaculate Conception is a natural consequence of the Augustinian doctrine of Original Sin in the West, but is not needed in Orthodoxy to explain how mortal Mary could have given birth to her All-Holy Son.
kamikat

[choirfiend]

And we believe in the assumption, but we teach authoritatively that she died first, and do not leave that up to opinion.

[prodromos]

She now sits at the foot of her Son, making intercession for all those who implore her mercy.To be completely accurate, the Orthodox Church believes that Mary the Theotokos and St John the Forerunner (AKA John the Baptist) occupy those places of honour at Christ's right and left hand which the apostles James and John had requested of Him. This is reflected in the iconostasis of very many Orthodox churches (some don't due to spacing constraints).

John

[prodromos]

And we believe in the assumption, but we teach authoritatively that she died first, and do not leave that up to opinion.It appears that it is a little known fact, even among Catholics, that they are not free to believe Mary was bodily assumed without dying.

The papal pronouncement which gets all the airplay is Munificentissimus Deus (http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius12/P12MUNIF.HTM) by Pope Pius XII where it is stated:by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.which appears to be ambiguous on whether on not Mary actually died before being assumed. If you read through the entire document however, there are numerous references to the fact of her death:Venerable to us, O Lord, is the festivity of this day on which the holy Mother of God suffered temporal death, but still could not be kept down by the bonds of death, who has begotten your Son our Lord incarnate from herself."

"God, the King of the universe, has granted you favors that surpass nature. As he kept you a virgin in childbirth, thus he has kept your body incorrupt in the tomb and has glorified it by his divine act of transferring it from the tomb."

They offered more profound explanations of its meaning and nature, bringing out into sharper light the fact that this feast shows, not only that the dead body of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained incorrupt, but that she gained a triumph out of death, her heavenly glorification after the example of her only begotten Son, Jesus Christ-truths that the liturgical books had frequently touched upon concisely and briefly

"It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death.

"As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Savior and God and the giver of life and immortality, has been endowed with life by him, she has received an eternal incorruptibility of the body together with him who has raised her up from the tomb and has taken her up to himself in a way known only to him."Catholics are required to believe Mary died.

John

[japhy]

It appears that it is a little known fact, even among Catholics, that they are not free to believe Mary was bodily assumed without dying.

The papal pronouncement which gets all the airplay is Munificentissimus Deus (http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius12/P12MUNIF.HTM) by Pope Pius XII where it is stated:by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. [...] Venerable to us, O Lord, is the festivity of this day on which the holy Mother of God suffered temporal death, but still could not be kept down by the bonds of death, who has begotten your Son our Lord incarnate from herself.
Catholics are required to believe Mary died.
Oh, I do. The term I've heard used is dormition. But yes, I believe she died.

[japhy]

To be completely accurate, the Orthodox Church believes that Mary the Theotokos and St John the Forerunner (AKA John the Baptist) occupy those places of honour at Christ's right and left hand which the apostles James and John had requested of Him. This is reflected in the iconostasis of very many Orthodox churches (some don't due to spacing constraints).
It's interesting you bring that passage up, since it's in the Gospel reading this upcoming Sunday. At a Bible study I was at on Tuesday, I had a sudden epiphany about another meaning of "in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left" (Mark 10:37). I was pondering the meaning of "in your glory" when I thought of Christ on the cross, flanked by two criminals. Referring to such an image, Jesus would be telling James and John that, although they would drink the same cup and receive the same baptism, it was not for them to be put to death with Jesus on Golgotha.

Just another meaning that came to me out of the blue.