By Dr. Dencio S. Acop
While I am a devout Catholic, I disagree with some within Catholicism who insist on attributing the title “Co-Redemptrix” or “Mediatrix of All Graces” to Mary, the divinely empowered mother of Jesus. The present Pope, Leo XIV, as well as the late Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI have already said that the faithful should refrain from using these Marian titles when referring to Mary.
Firstly, Pope Benedict categorically said that such attributions have no basis in scripture and in fact depart from it. Secondly, all three latest Popes emphasize that the use of such titles is confusing to the faithful because it tends to put Mary on equal footing with Jesus Christ which would not only be absurd but untrue. And thirdly, such developments come about due to the tendency of some faithful to bring down the realities of heaven according to their personal convictions even if such contradict carefully developed church doctrines throughout the ages due to the criticality of ensuring that deposits of faith must first be validated by divine revelation and not merely the promotion of earthly vested interests. In fact, the Catholic Church, which is the historian of Christianity since Jesus Christ already has the foundational, core, and developing doctrines of the faith carefully documented. This guardianship is made evident by the existence of the Holy Bible whose New Testament was written between 40 AD and 95 AD; while its Old Testament was compiled sometime between 1000 BC and 450 BC. It is also made apparent in the fact that the written Gospels and Epistles owe their substance to the earlier oral traditions of Christianity which transmitted the initial, spoken teachings and actions of Jesus as well as the “good news” (kerygma) relayed by the Apostles and early followers. Finally, the guardianship has its third pillar in the Magisterium – the teaching authority of the Catholic Church exercised by the Popes and bishops which was established by Christ when he commissioned the Apostles to teach. The 431 AD Council of Ephesus clarified the role of Mary as the Theotokos (“God-bearer” or “Mother of God” in Greek), thereby affirming the Church’s belief in the Incarnation – that Christ is one person with both human and divine natures, rather than two separate persons – debunking Nestorianism. Relative to this, Pope Benedict XVI presents the first evidence supporting my argument. Then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger opposed the “Co-redemptrix or Mediatrix of all graces” title in a 1996 internal discussion within the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith arguing that “the precise meaning of these titles is not clear, and the doctrine contained in them is not mature”. He added that, “it is not clear how the doctrine expressed in these titles is present in Scripture and the apostolic tradition”. Later in 2002, he repeated his position publicly: “The formula ‘Co-redemptrix’ departs to too great an extent from the language of Scripture and of the (Church) Fathers and therefore gives rise to misunderstandings … Everything comes from Him (Christ), as the Letter to the Ephesians and the Letter to the Colossians, in particular, tell us; Mary, too, is everything that she is through Him. The word ‘Co-redemptrix’ would obscure this origin.” While Cardinal Ratzinger expressed this point, he also noted that he wasn’t denying “the good intentions behind the proposal, nor the valuable aspects reflected in it, but nonetheless maintained that they were ‘being expressed in the wrong way’.”
Secondly, all three latest Popes emphasize that the use of such titles is confusing to the faithful because it tends to put Mary on equal footing with Jesus Christ which would not only be absurd but untrue. For his part, the late Pope Francis also expressed his clear opposition to the use of the title “Co-redemptrix” on at least three occasions during his papacy. The current Pope, Leo XIV, has instructed Catholics to stop referring to Mary as the co-redeemer of the world, reaffirming the belief that Jesus Christ alone redeemed humanity through his crucifixion and death. As a result of the confusion and controversy among the faithful created by the Marian attributions, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on 4 November 2025, published Mater populi fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People”), a Doctrinal Note “On Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation.” The Note is the fruit of a long and complex collegial effort to get to the bottom of the controversy and arrive at a firm consensus that will guide the faithful lest they be divided by unnecessary misinterpretations of doctrinal faith, or worse, fall into grave error. The findings of the review clearly clarify the issue. “Essentially, the Note reaffirms Catholic doctrine, which has always emphasized that everything in Mary is directed towards the centrality of Christ and His salvific work. For this reason, even if some Marian titles admit of an orthodox interpretation through correct exegesis, Mater populi fidelis says it is preferable to avoid them.” The Note’s conclusion is even clearer: “It is always inappropriate to use the title ‘Co-redemptrix’ to define Mary’s cooperation. This title risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith. …When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
Finally, such developments come about due to the tendency of some faithful to bring down the realities of heaven according to their personal convictions even if such contradict carefully developed church doctrines throughout the ages due to the criticality of ensuring that deposits of faith must first be validated by divine revelation and not merely the promotion of earthly vested interests. While Marian devotion is apparently strong within the Catholic faith, Catholics must be careful not to fall into the error of worshipping Mary rather than Jesus Christ. Because that is what ‘Co-redemptrix’ signifies. Christ is God. Mary, His mother, is not. She is human, like us. How can a human being be called mankind’s redeemer along with God? Our admiration and devotion to Mother Mary are laudable and sweet. But do they have to overshadow even our faith in Jesus? If they do, then that would be the work of the devil who is the master of lies, deception, and treachery. Aren’t the titles already attributed to our holy mother still not enough? That we need to invent titles that elevate her to be at level with her Incarnate Son of God? While some of us may think this is alright, it is not. We the people of God must think of the world and not just our myopic groups, associations, and concerns. God is the God of the Universe and not just our Marian groups. We must think big and fully understand this doctrine of communal union which is what the Church is, as the mystical body and bride of Christ. That is why the Church also cannot be effeminate, as Christ is the groom and head of this bride. As I listened to the priest exhort on the Seven Last Words on Good Friday, I was surprised when all he discussed for the Third Word (“Woman, behold your son … Behold your mother”) was to justify that Mary is God’s “co-mediatrix”. The priest discussed it so much, that he was no longer able to touch on all seven words by the moment his time was up before the 3:00 PM solemn afternoon liturgy and procession. This reflection is partly a reaction to my experienced surprise. It is also a reminder to that priest and us all that his exhortation was in error as the three Popes and the Note have already clarified the matter, rendering the priest’s mutterings as confusing the faithful still despite these official clarifications. Lastly, there is the issue of false teaching and parenthood. Responsible parenthood was another point used by the priest in discussing the Third Word. The point I’m driving at is simple. While true teaching is responsible parenthood, how does a “father” contradicting his Pope and the Note not be false teaching and therefore irresponsible parenthood?