The Sat Report: Thoughts on the Vatican's clarification on Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix

Mater Populi Fidelis addresses the question of the Fifth Marian Dogma

Last Tuesday, Víctor Manuel Cardinal Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, held a press conference open to the public, hosted by the Jesuit Curia to present ‘Mater Populi Fidelis’ (Mother of the Faithful People), a document addressing not so much contentious doctrine regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary, but rather contentious titles that have been debated for decades, if not centuries.

Cardinal Fernández presenting Mater Populi Fidelis (Vatican Media)

The press conference was open to the public but was not open to questions from anyone, including journalists. Synodality in action. The conference itself was interrupted rather unbecomingly twice by a lay member of the faithful who was defending the title of co-redemptrix. He even told Tucho that “God does not like this, your Eminence.” Tucho was his part had a good retort, saying that the biggest debates in the history of the Church were centred on the Marian dogmas.

This document comes off the back of clamouring by some groups within the Church, most notably the International Marian Association, for the proclamation of a Fifth Marian Dogma. Pope Francis was famously against the use of Co-redemptrix and this document does seem to be a holdover from the previous Pontificate. Pope Leo XIV approved the document but not ‘in forma specifica’, meaning that it does not demand assent from the faithful. Make of that what you will.

The TL;DR is that the title of Mary as “Co-redemptrix” is inappropriate and problematic. The title of “Mediatrix” is considered unacceptable when it takes on a meaning that excludes Jesus Christ. However, it can be used appropriately so long as it expresses an inclusive and participatory mediation that glorifies the power of Christ. Titles such as those of “Mother of Grace” and “Mediatrix of All Graces” are considered acceptable when used in a very precise sense. Other titles such as ‘Mother of Believers’, ‘Spiritual Mother’, and ‘Mother of the Faithful’ have been approved by the Vatican’s Doctrinal Office. The irony here is that the words, ‘inappropriate’, ‘problematic’, and ‘unacceptable’, vary depending on which official translation of Mater Populi Fidelis you read, obviously this is a problem when it comes to the clarity of the teaching but let’s not digress.

This document frames the role that the Blessed Virgin Mary played in salvation history as primarily limited to the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth and her role in Christ’s earthly ministry, whilst omitting her role in the end times, as has been espoused in Sacred Scripture and the Book of the Apocalypse, not to mention the various private revelations associated with Our Lady’s various apparitions. This latter point is pertinent with respect to praying the rosary everyday, the first Saturday devotions, and the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary plays an eschatological role which this document has omitted either by accident or deliberately.

This document does not reject per se the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in our redemption or as mediator, and does a good job of clarifying these roles in light of scripture and tradition. It does they by playing a balancing act, as both Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix have been used favourably by various Roman Pontiffs, particularly over the last century. As an example Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Benedict XVI, had a negative view of the title of Co-redemptrix, however when he visited Fatima in 2010 as Pope for the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, he said of the tradition Blessing of the Sick at Fatima; “Dear friends who are sick, welcome the call of Jesus who will shortly pass among you in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and entrust to Him every setback and pain that you face, so that they become – according to His design – a means of redemption for the whole world. You will be redeemers with the Redeemer, just as you are sons in the Son. At the cross ... stands the mother of Jesus, our mother.”

This is what this document does it rejects the title of Co-redemptrix on prudential grounds, saying that “when an expression requires frequent explanation to maintain the correct meaning, it becomes unhelpful.” This rather unfortunate turn of phrase by Tucho, who has a track record of carelessness with words, really does seem to set a rather dangerous precedent, which I will just leave there for now. It does however seem to confirm the theology underlying the dogma.

The lack of alternative expression proposed by the Vatican’s Doctrinal Office to ‘co-redemptrix’ to describe Our Lady’s cooperation with Christ’s redemption on the Cross, which is Catholic doctrine, causes problems. The danger from the Vatican’s point of view, of both not providing alternatives and by addressing the titles of Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix head on, they may inadvertently cause an increase in curiosity of the faithful on the history of these titles, increasing awareness and perhaps popularity, especially on the internet where some of the most successful evangelization is being undertaken. Perhaps it would have been wiser for the Vatican to let these titles fizzle out over time, as would have occurred if these weren’t truly from the Sensus fidelium.

Why Now?

As mentioned previously, this document is clearly a holdover from the previous Pontificate, one fixated on social media as a barometer of Catholic thought. It seems to be speaking to small corner of the internet, and overtly preoccupied with avoiding confusion particular among the Orthodox and Protestants, but some Catholics too. The Church has since Vatican II been very careful not to further alienate Protestants, whilst the Protestants themselves have no such worries in further alienating the Church (female ordination, acceptance of homosexual ‘marriage’, etc.). This document very much follows in that vein.

Ratzinger is quoted throughout, ironic given that he as long-term head of the Vatican’s Doctrinal Office and then as Pope, did not feel to the need to publish an official document against the title of co-redemptrix. The precise, articulate, master of clarity, Ratzinger/Benedict XVI didn’t feel the need to do so really does say a lot.

Is this document necessary? Probably not, but it does seem that Pope Leo XIV is clearly his desk of the things left over by Francis, looking to make a fresh start. This is not a priority of the current Pontificate, but was one of the previous, a document that was so far along towards completion that Leo signed off on it, as one less thing to deal with.

I’m not even sure what Catholics are to make of the document. On one hand it clarifies the theological soundness of co-redemptrix, whilst objecting to the term itself. This whole thing reminds me of Traditionis custodes; what problem are we actually addressing here and was it really necessary. The internet is not real life, perhaps someone should tell Tucho.

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