Dicastery for Doctrine of the Faith Releases Document on Marian Titles

Earlier this week, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document entitled Mater Populi Fidelis (Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation) in which they addressed the use of the titles of Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces for Our Blessed Mother.   

I am not going to opine on the title Mediatrix of All Graces.  Though I am familiar with that title, I am still discerning whether it is appropriate or not.  I am only going to focus on the title Co-Redemptrix.  

The Co-Redemptrix title refers to Mary’s role in Jesus’s redemption of humanity.   

In his Catholic podcast Pints with Aquinas, Matt Fradd offers a good explanation of the Co-Redemptrix title:  “When we say she is “Co-Redemptrix,” we don’t mean that she equally shared in Jesus’ work of redemption. We simply state that she cooperated in a special way as an instrument of the Lord.”  See https://pintswithaquinas.com/why-do-we-call-mary-a-co-redemptrix/ 

As Mater Populi Fidelis explains, the title Co-Redemptrix dates back to the 15th Century.  I personally first heard of this title back in the mid-1990s when I read of it in Ted and Maureen Flynn’s 1993 book The Thunder of Justice:  The Warning, The Miracle, The Chastisement, The Era of Peace.  Several modern Popes have referred to the title, either in the affirmative or in the negative.  This includes Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Saint Pius X and Pope Benedict XVI (when he was a cardinal).  

The title Co-Redemptrix has been advanced in several reported Marian supernatural phenomena.  Beginning in 1973, the late Father Stefano Gobbi reportedly received several hundred locutions from Our Blessed Mother, two of which specifically mentioned the Co-Redemptrix title.    On 15 September 1990, she reportedly told Father Gobbi via locution:  “My Son Jesus wanted me beneath the Cross, to associate my immaculate suffering with all his divine suffering.  He wanted to unite my human suffering to his and He associated me intimately in the mystery of his redemption.  Thus He called me to be co-redemptrix.”   (See the entry for this day in To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons published by Father Gobbi and the Marian Movement of Priests.)  This past May, the cause for the beatification and canonization of Father Gobbi was opened.  

As with all alleged supernatural occurrences and private revelations, the Church does not require belief in such matters and we should pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment.

The Co-Redemptrix title was prominently mentioned in the “Our Lady of All Nations” apparitions received by Ida Perleman in the Netherlands in the 1940s and 1950s.  These alleged apparitions promoted the titles Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate for adoption as the Fifth Marian Doctrine.  The Vatican has not adopted this proposed doctrine nor does it seem likely ever to do so.  

It should be noted that these “Our Lady of All Nations” apparitions were declared to be non-supernatural (“constat de non supernaturalitate”) by the Vatican in 1974 with the approval of Pope Saint Paul VI but this was only made public last year after the Vatican changed its criteria for evaluating supernatural phenomenon.  See https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-07/pope-paul-vi-ddf-our-lady-nations-amsterdam-false.html and https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-07/pope-paul-vi-ddf-our-lady-nations-amsterdam-false.html 

In Mater Populi Fidelis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith determined that the using the Co-Redemptrix title for Our Blessed Mother is inappropriate.   

Paragraph 22 of Mater Populi Fidelis explains the Dicastery’s reasoning for their determination: 

“Given the necessity of explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it is always inappropriate [emphasis in original] 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).

Mater Populi Fidelis is posted on the Vatican’s website.  https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20251104_mater-populi-fidelis_en.html#_Toc201667039  

I encourage you to read this document in its entirety.  Though media reporting has focused on the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces titles, the document is very good in its discussion of Mariology.  

Already, some faithful and learned Catholics are criticizing the Dicastery for this document.  They argue that the title does not elevate Mary to the same role or importance in salvation as Jesus.  Others are saying that this is another example of Cardinal Fernandez’s hostility towards traditional Catholicism.  Several writers offer the statements of six previous popes to support their claims of legitimacy for the title.  

Critics have opposed Mater Populi Fidelis for a variety of reasons, including for its reliance on statements by the late Pope Francis.  “In short, it appears that the work of Pope Francis continues—especially since he is mentioned or quoted forty times in the document, which was most likely finished (or near finished) months ago, during his pontificate,” wrote Carl E. Olson in The Catholic World Report last Tuesday. See https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2025/11/04/the-ddf-marian-document-relies-on-poor-argumentation-reveals-clear-double-standard/

Others have been supportive of Mater Populi Fidelis.  Writing for Zenit News, Jorge Enrique Mújica wrote “By re-centering Marian devotion on its Christological foundation, the Vatican’s new document neither diminishes Mary nor confines her; rather, it anchors her where she has always belonged—in the radiant light of her Son.”

See https://zenit.org/2025/11/04/mary-co-redemptrix-this-is-what-the-most-comprehensive-vatican-reflection-on-marian-terminology-since-the-second-vatican-council-says/#google_vignette 

In this article, I have endeavored to present a brief overview of Mater Populi Fidelis with regard to the Co-Redemptrix title and a sampling of the criticisms and support for its pronouncements.  Again, I encourage you to read the document in its entirety and pray to the Holy Spirit for his guidance.  

In my next article, I will offer my opinion on the Co-Redemptrix title and the Dicastery’s recent pronouncement about it.