As faithful Catholics, we hold the Blessed Virgin Mary in the highest esteem, not as a goddess or equal to her Divine Son, but as the humble handmaid whose "yes" to God made salvation possible.
Just as the title “Mother of God” was solemnly defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD to affirm Christ’s divinity and Mary’s unique role in the Incarnation, so too does the title “Co-Redemptrix” capture her unparalleled cooperation in the work of redemption. This title, far from diminishing Christ’s singular role as Redeemer, highlights Mary’s subordinate yet profound participation at the foot of the Cross. Despite the recent Doctrinal Note Mater Populi Fidelis issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deems it “always inappropriate,” I argue that “Co-Redemptrix” remains a theologically sound and devotionally enriching expression of Marian truth—one that should not be discarded amid far graver crises plaguing the Church today.
Mary's Unique Cooperation in Salvation
At its core, “Co-Redemptrix” reflects Mary’s fiat at the Annunciation and her suffering on Calvary, where she united her sorrows to Christ’s infinite sacrifice. As Scripture attests in Luke 2:35, a sword pierced her soul, symbolizing her maternal anguish as part of the redemptive plan. Theologians like St. Louis de Montfort and St. Alphonsus Liguori have long emphasized this: Mary’s consent enabled the Incarnation, and her pains amplified the offering of the Lamb of God.
Proponents clarify that “co-” means “with,” not “equal to.” It refers to her “unique human participation” in redemption, subordinate to Christ, much like St. Paul’s words in Colossians 1:24 about filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. This is not innovation but echoes patristic thought—St. Irenaeus called Mary the “cause of salvation” for her obedience reversing Eve’s disobedience.
Moreover, Mary’s merits are de congruo (fittingly deserving), earning graces for humanity through her friendship with God, as distinct from Christ’s de condigno (strictly deserving) merits. Her immaculate heart, free from sin, offered perfect love at Calvary, making her the “chief minister” in distributing graces. This title thus enriches our understanding of redemption as a familial act: Christ as Head, Mary as Neck of the Mystical Body.
Magisterial Precedence
The title is no modern invention. Popes like Leo XIII, Pius XI, and especially St. John Paul II invoked “Co-Redemptrix” multiple times. John Paul II used it at least seven occasions, linking it to the “salvific value” of Mary’s suffering. In his 1987 encyclical letter Redemptoris Mater, he described her as united to Christ “in an entirely special and exceptional way,” affirming her co-redemptive role without equivocation.
Saints and doctors of the Church, from St. Bernard to St. Maximilian Kolbe, have similarly praised her as such. Kolbe founded the Militia Immaculatae partly on this devotion, seeing Mary as the instrument through whom all graces flow. To reject it now ignores centuries of magisterial support, reducing Marian piety to safer, less profound expressions.
Misplaced Priorities in a Troubled Church
The release of Mater Populi Fidelis on November 4, 2025, raises more questions than it answers. While it affirms Mary’s maternal role and suggests alternatives like “Mother of Believers,” it outright bans (though not from private devotion) “Co-Redemptrix” and qualifiers like “Mediatrix of all graces,” citing risks of misunderstanding and ecumenical concerns. But why now? As critics note, the document relies on “poor argumentation” and reveals a “clear double standard,” selectively targeting traditional titles while ignoring pressing doctrinal ambiguities elsewhere.
Phil Lawler from CatholicCulture.org aptly asks, “Why now?” in an era of widespread confusion. With scandals rocking the Church—from clerical abuse cover-ups to liturgical abuses—focusing on Marian titles seems oddly timed. Take, for instance, the recent LGBT pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica in September, where participants crossed the Holy Door bearing a rainbow cross and one wore a backpack emblazoned with “F*** the Rules” in large letters. This “Gay Pride in St. Peter’s” event, marked by a spirit of defiance more than anything (and under Leo’s watch, we might add), was predictably scandalous yet apparently permitted. Or consider the recent scandal unfolding in the headlines: Gio Benitez, the openly gay ABC News anchor, was received into “full communion” with the Catholic Church through baptism and confirmation at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City. Adding to the controversy, the notorious Father James Martin, SJ, known for his advocacy on LGBT issues, concelebrated the Mass and publicly celebrated Benitez’s “journey” on social media. In a Church where the Code of Canon Law (1983) requires sponsors to be fully initiated Catholics leading a life in harmony with the faith (Canon 874 §1), one can’t help but wonder how this squares with Catholic teaching.
If the Dicastery has energy for producing more documents, why not reorient those energies to address such profanations or the rogue clergy committing such flagrant offenses against our Lord and His Church? Questioning Mary’s titles pales in comparison to defending the sanctity of St. Peter’s Basilica against slogans that mock Church authority or the Church’s teaching on homosexuality and sins against the Sixth Commandment. But we digress.
While Mater Populi Fidelis doesn’t declare the title ‘Co-Redemptrix’ heretical; it calls it “inappropriate” for pastoral reasons. Faithful Catholics can respectfully disagree, as with non-infallible prudential judgments. Although it does affirm the underlying theology of Mary’s cooperation in Christ’s redemptive mission, which inadvertently lends support to the title’s doctrinal soundness.
In an age of spiritual confusion, titles like Co-Redemptrix draw us closer to the Cross, reminding us of Mary’s example of total surrender. Like Theotokos (God-bearer), it safeguards the Church’s Christology while honoring her who bore the Word. We must not shy from it out of fear of misunderstanding but proclaim it boldly, entrusting the Church’s woes to her intercession.
Amid such controversies, Mary’s title stands as a beacon of hope—not a distraction, but a remedy for what truly ails the Body of Christ.