The Vatican has issued a new doctrinal note, Mater Populi Fidelis (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has declared that the Marian title “Co-Redemptrix” is “inappropriate” and theologically “unhelpful,” marking a decisive clarification on one of the most debated expressions in modern Mariology.
The doctrinal note, titled Mater Populi Fidelis (Mother of the Faithful People of God), was issued November 4 and signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the DDF. It was approved by Pope Leo XIV on October 7.
“When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning,” the note stated, according to LifeSiteNews, “it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
According to the document, the term “Co-Redemptrix” “risks eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ” and therefore “would not be a true honor to his Mother.”
Reaffirming Christ’s Unique Mediation
The Vatican’s doctrinal office explained that, while Mary’s cooperation in salvation history is real and profound, Jesus Christ alone is Redeemer and Mediator.
“In this case, the expression ‘co-redemptrix’ does not help extol Mary as the first and foremost collaborator in the work of redemption and grace,” the note said, “for it carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ.”
Pope Leo XIV’s approval gives the text significant doctrinal authority, according to Catholic News Agency. It responds to long-standing questions about Marian titles and aims, in the words of Cardinal Fernández, to “deepen the proper foundations of Marian devotion by specifying Mary’s place in her relationship with believers in light of the mystery of Christ as the sole mediator and redeemer.”
Titles “Mediatrix” and “Mother of the Faithful”
In addition to “Co-Redemptrix,” Mater Populi Fidelis discourages the use of “Mediatrix of All Graces,” arguing that it lacks “solid grounding in Revelation” and may cause misunderstanding.
Instead, the Vatican encourages titles rooted in Mary’s motherhood, such as “Mother of God” and “Mother of the Faithful People of God.”
“She is the mother who gave the world the author of redemption and of grace,” the note reads, “who stood firm at the foot of the cross (cf. John 19:25), suffering alongside her son and offering the pain of her maternal heart pierced by the sword (cf. Luke 2:35). From the Incarnation to the cross and the Resurrection, she was united to Christ in a way that is unique and that far surpasses any other believer.”
Balancing Devotion and Doctrine
At a presentation in Rome, Cardinal Fernández emphasized that the new text seeks to protect the simplicity of Marian devotion without undermining popular piety.
“We care for the people’s faith without complicating it with issues that are not among the concerns of the vast majority and that add nothing essential to their love for Mary,” he said, according to CNA.
He acknowledged that the decision “will not please some people,” particularly those in circles that have long campaigned for the formal proclamation of Mary as Co-Redemptrix or Mediatrix of All Graces.
During the Rome event, one layman identifying himself as part of a Marian study group interrupted the proceedings, shouting that the document “does not please God” and insisting the title “Co-Redemptrix” was “God’s eternal truth.”
Fernández calmly replied, “You are not the people. If you want to write, write to the dicastery … we will listen with respect.”
Echoes of Vatican II and the Popes
The note continues a trajectory stretching back to the Second Vatican Council, which intentionally refrained from defining Mary as Co-Redemptrix to avoid doctrinal confusion and maintain unity with other Christians.
The document’s tone also recalls prior papal teaching. Reuters noted that Pope Francis had called the idea of Mary as “Co-Redeemer” “foolishness,” adding, “She never wanted to take anything for herself from her Son.”
Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, shared that caution. John Paul II, while once using the term in devotional contexts, eventually stopped employing it publicly in the 1990s after the doctrinal office expressed concern.
Theological and Ecumenical Reasons
By discouraging language that may appear to place Mary on equal footing with Christ, the DDF aims to preserve the Christological center of salvation and foster ecumenical dialogue with other Christian traditions.
LifeSiteNews noted that the document “places renewed emphasis on Mary’s receptivity rather than her active participation in Christ’s work of redemption.”
The DDF hopes this clarification will guide bishops and theologians worldwide in their pastoral language about Mary, ensuring that devotion remains anchored in the Gospel.
“Co-Redemptrix” and “Co-Redeemer”: What’s the Difference?
Both expressions refer to the same concept. Co-Redemptrix is simply the feminine Latin form of Co-Redeemer. The prefix “co-” (from cum, “with”) signifies cooperation with rather than equality to. The problem, as the DDF explains, is that in modern languages the term easily suggests shared redemption rather than subordinate cooperation.
As Reuters summarized: “Jesus may have heard words of wisdom from his mother Mary, but she did not help him save the world from damnation … It would not be appropriate to use the title ‘co-redemptrix.’”
Faithful Devotion, Clear Doctrine
The new instruction re-centers Marian devotion on what the Church calls her incomparable grace of cooperation, a grace that leads all believers closer to Christ, not away from him.
“Mary’s incomparable greatness lies in what she has received,” the note concludes, “and in her trusting readiness to allow herself to be overtaken by the Spirit.”
In other words, her glory is found not in sharing her Son’s divine mission, but in perfectly surrendering to it.
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