Vatican Tries to Clarify Marian Titles Like They Try to Clarify Everything Else

Very Average Joe
Nov 11, 2025
3 min read

One can always trust the post-Vatican II church for some good waffle. This shouldn’t be surprising as Leo XIV blessed a block of ice at some “climate justice” conference last month.

But more importantly, a document titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”) was released on November 4. It is a “Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation” signed by Leo XIV on October 7 that is supposed to clarify the subject.

Regarding the title “Co-Redemptrix”:

22. Given the necessity of explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, 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, for “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). 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. 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, for it carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ—the Son of God made man for our salvation, who was the only one capable of offering the Father a sacrifice of infinite value—which would not be a true honor to his Mother. Indeed, as the “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38), Mary directs us to Christ and asks us to “do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). [Emphasis original.]

Note that “it is always inappropriate” to use the title but it is not formally condemned. Thanks for that, it’s all clear now.

By the way, setting aside that “Co-redemptrix” has been used for at least a few centuries, which the document admits, “co” means with without implying equality. It is important to note that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer but Mary being the “Co-redemptrix” does not contradict that, nor should it be confusing for anyone who can look up the dictionary.

Regarding the title “Mediatrix of All Graces”, this is even clearer:

67. Some titles, such as “Mediatrix of All Graces,” have limits that do not favor a correct understanding of Mary’s unique place. In fact, she, the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received.

There is the commonsensical distinction between primary and secondary causes. Of course, God has to create Mary first before she can do anything. But this does not make the title wrong even if it is not clear how she does it.

Before even getting to that, the title is correct when one takes a simpler view. Since Christ is the Redeemer and the source of all graces, and Mary carried and gave birth to Christ, she is in that sense the channel by which “all graces” came into the world. Therefore, she is already the Mediatrix of All Graces just by being the Mother of God.

One can go on about other details in this so-called doctrinal note. But what is noteworthy is that Rome seems to be more worried about not offending people under the guise of not wanting to cause confusion instead of actually doing their job by clarifying the matter.