AS PAUL HARVY, OF HAPPY MEMORY, WOULD SAY: “AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY”:
Crux has a commentary on Cardinal Fernandez’s condemnation of the use of the titles of the BVM as Co-Redemptrix and Co-Mediatrix.
What I learned is that this document was completed during Pope Francis’ reign and Pope Leo has simply “rubber stamped” it with a less than full-throated approval. That’s very important to know and to understand.
Although linked in the moneybyte I post below, Delia Gallagher’s excellent and historic commentary on the press conference is a must read and I mean a must read!
Tucho's Travails
Thoughts from a Vatican Press Conference
DELIA BUCKLEY GALLAGHER
NOV 06, 2025
You can read the full Crux commentary by pressing the title:
New document about ‘Co-redemptrix’ opens hornets’ nest in Church
But here’s the best money byte from that commentary:
Of course, many will question the timing of the document, which was actually completed while Pope Francis was still alive (although Pope Leo XIV was a member of the Dicastery – as Cardinal Robert Prevost – when it was approved).
As for the timing: Benedict became pope 20 years ago; in all honesty the “Co-redemptrix” debate has somewhat died down after two decades. Yes, there were still people calling for the title to be made the “Fifth Marian dogma” but this was not widely spoken about, and not on the radar of the vast majority of Catholics.
Fernandez also complained that the embargo for the document was broken – however, it was sent to everyone in the media 14 hours before it was officially released: There was no way he couldn’t have known the embargo wasn’t going to be broken.
The real question is why the hornets’ nest would be shaken so early in Leo’s tenure.
Journalist Delia Gallagher claimed it came due to internal Church fights that had become common during the pontificate of Pope Francis. (Delia Gallagher is not a far-right loony toon and is often a go-to-reporter on Catholic subjects at the Vatican for CNN.)
“In short, I think a large part of the reason for this document is that Cardinal Fernandez is inordinately bothered by traditional Catholics. That he readily and at length singled out ‘these people,’ in his talk and in the document, is testament to this likelihood,” she wrote on Substack.
“Pitting traditional faithful against the ‘ordinary’ faithful was also a lamentable mark of Pope Francis’ style, and it is clearly replicated here in Tucho’s categorization of Marian enthusiasts who are disturbing the faith of ordinary Catholics,” Gallagher added.
Several commenters have also noted – some of them rather archly – how the DDF document says an expression such as Co-redemptrix “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,” but its authors somehow fail to see how that observation may fairly apply to the way the term “synodality” has been met in the Church.
Other observers have noticed lack of approval by Pope Leo in forma specifica, meaning it wasn’t officially coming from the pontiff. That observation may strike outsiders as being of the hair-splitting variety. In many ways it is a matter of Vatican minutia, but it’s not wrong. It does make the position of the pope himself unclear.
And “unclear” is how the new pontificate will continue, until the projects begun by his predecessor come to a conclusion. Only then, will we be able to start to truly understand Pope Leo XIV.
26 comments:
This is a document sought and asked for by no-one. It sort of hangs in the air like a plastic bag in a tree: nobody really knows how it got there and nobody can be bothered to reclaim it.
Titles given to The Blessed Virgin Mary are for the purpose of highlighting some Truth about Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer.
Co-Redemptrix and/or Co-Mediatrix are unnecessary in that they do not accomplish that goal. Further, "...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...”
Plastic bags in trees, by the way, get there by being blown about by the wind. They are not reclaimed because the same wind that put them there in the first place is most likely going to whoooosh them along in the not too distant future.
Put more simply, the Mother of God isn't co-redemptrix or co-mediatrix.
Most plastic bags end up in the storm sewer, don't they?
Nick
"Marc
Put more simply, the Mother of God isn't co-redemptrix or co-mediatrix."
Completely agree. As established at the Council of Ephesus, she is the "God Bearer"/Theotokos. Mother Mary was central to salvation history, she is revered as the highest of saints, she modeled sinlessness, she intercedes; however, salvation itself emanates from Christ alone.
Again, it seems all that we need was provided by the early church (deposit of faith, patristic writings, 7 ecumenical councils etc) as has been established many times. Our Church is living, and perfect. To me, any need to strive for perfection beyond what is already there just creates a myriad of other problems, that which divides we Byzantines from our paternal brethren chief among them.
ByzRus, in the usual ending said by the priests, deacon, subdeacon after the divine liturgy (Ruthenian) is done and the gates are closed, in the Theotokion we say "Steadfast Protectoress of Christians, unshakable Mediatrix before the creator . . ."
A review of St Germanus of Constantinople's homilies is replete withe direct and indirect discussions of Mary's mediation.
The early theology of Mary as Mediatrix is all Byzantine.
ByzRus, another earlier refernce is found in St Proclus of Constantinople 's First Homily where our Lady is described as the only bridge to God for mankind. Proclus died in 446. Jesus is God and she
Mary is our mediatrix to Him.
Denunciations of Pope Leo XIV's Mater Populi Fidelis continue to flow. (New examples below.)
Nevertheless, "The Supreme Pontiff Leo XIV...approved the present Note...and he ordered its publication."
God commands that we stand with Pope Leo XIV.
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OnePeterFive
@OnePeterFive
“Never in the history of the Church has the magisterium said what this document says; instead, it basically states the ‘right opposite’ of what the Church Fathers and previous Popes have historically taught.”
=======
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò:
"The Doctrinal Note presented in the past few days at the Vatican, with only its Latin incipit, Mater Populi Fidelis (here), constitutes yet another scandalous affront from a treacherous and deviant Hierarchy, which for over sixty years, in an unstoppable crescendo, has used its authority to speciously impose its own doctrinal and moral deviations on Catholics, with the aim of dismantling the Catholic Church and losing souls.
"Let’s be blunt: Tucho Fernández cares nothing about the Co-Redemption, much less about the potential misunderstandings of the faithful.
"And it would be pathetic to think that he is supposedly reaffirming the sole mediation of Our Lord while both his employers — Bergoglio and Prevost — maintain that all religions lead to God.
"Tucho Fernández does not have the slightest concern about the spread of doctrinal errors that the Dicastery he unworthily presides over should promptly condemn, errors which he deliberately fuels.
"Thus, while Prevost and Tucho Fernández pretend to want to dispel the misunderstandings of a doctrine confirmed by the simple Faith of the people, they are simultaneously preparing to give theological consistency to sodomy, the female diaconate, and the subversion of the papacy in a synodal key."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Mark, there are wingnuts in both extremes of the Church today and they are both uncharitable and yes, these uncharitable ways of trying to engage in a discussion are mortal sins. The right wing part of the Church has no monopoly on the mortal sins against charity and if you try, you can go back to the heady days of the NCR when they allowed comments on their articles in a free-for-all and you would see just how ugly and mean-spirited NCR commenters were. To the NCR’s credit, they stopped posting comments, sometimes thousands on a given post—that was a huge step for this heterodox rag.
But—there is a place for charitable discussion and the call for clarity as it concerns sodomy, ordaining women to Holy Orders and synodality to subvert the role of the pope and bishops in union with him. That is not an ugly quest but much needed in today’s Church.
Peter Kwasniewski:
"Probably the biggest news this week is the new “Doctrinal Note” from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mater Populi Fidelis, “on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation.”
"Much of the document is fine. The theological exposition is generally quite conservative and even beautiful.
"The problem is, when it rules out as inappropriate the language of Our Lady as “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces,” it crosses a bright red line.
"Why? Because this language has been very carefully explored, explained, and justified by a formidable number of theologians.
"It has been used by a string of popes. It is hallowed by liturgical and devotional usage. It’s not eligible for cancellation.
"Eminent historian Roberto de Mattei reacted strongly:
It is with deep sorrow that we have read this text, which, behind a mellifluous tone, hides a poisonous content...the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wants to strip her of the titles of Co-Redemptrix and Universal Mediatrix of all graces, reducing her to a woman like any other:
"...It is difficult not to see in these pages the fulfillment of the post-conciliar mariological drift which, in the name of the “happy medium,” has chosen a minimalism that demeans the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary..."
Pax.
Mark Thomas
The Mother of God is “our constant Mediatrix before the Creator.” But she is not co-mediatrix — “co-“ here implies equality with Christ’s unique role as Mediator. The Mother of God and her Son are not qualitatively equal mediators.
Father McDonald said..."The right wing part of the Church has no monopoly on the mortal sins against charity and if you try, you can go back to the heady days of the NCR when they allowed comments on their articles in a free-for-all and you would see just how ugly and mean-spirited NCR commenters were. To the NCR’s credit, they stopped posting comments, sometimes thousands on a given post—that was a huge step for this heterodox rag."
Father, I agree that there are massive problems in regard to folks who promote, if you will, left-wing Catholicism.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Marc, having lived in the Protestant Bible Belt for most of my life, I have had to defend Catholic teaching on asking the BVM and other saints to pray for us and especially Protestants accusing Catholics of worshipping the Mother of God, the BVM. In RCIA classes and when engaging Protestants, I have made clear that the Catholic Church’s dogma is that Jesus Christ is the One Intercessor before God the Father. If any prayer gets to God the Father it is exclusively through God the Son. But, but, but, Jesus Christ has many intercessors to Himself. That includes all the Faithful and preeminently the BVM and all the saints in heaven. I personally don’t like the terms Co-Mediatrix or Co-Redemptrix for the reasons you post. These are confusing but they can be explained in an orthodox way. I might add, too, that the title Mother of God creates a lot of confusion in Protestants and many Catholics too. Without clarifying that title, it could and does appear to many people Catholics and otherwise, that Mary was first and gave birth to God. Which she did but was she eternal before God came to birth????
Or in the ocean!
Father, I know that you teach the orthodox teaching about the Mother of God, and you do an excellent job with it!
A difference here is that the title Mother of God comes from an Ecumenical Council and combats the Nestorian heresy. Adding on new titles, even if they could be explained in an Orthodox way, doesn’t combat anything —- it adds confusion since it requires further nuanced explanation to have the correct meaning.
Marc,
No one says Mary is co-mediatrix. Never heard of that. There are wonderful discussions of Mary as Mediatrix by Juniper Carol, Emil Neubert, Peter Damian Fehlner, among others. You could also read St.Germanus of Constantinople's two homilies on the Dormition or the Sash. In any event, we do not care what heretics think.
Mark,
I agree that the document is relatively benign. It comes across more as a "we prefer you not to use the terms mediatrix and co-redemptrix because they could confuse people." Nowhere does it say these terms are banned, forbidden, nixed, etc. The headlines for the news articles concerning this documents are misleading, if not downright dishonest. I do not find the document poisonous. If anything, the document is an invitation to dialogue and more theological inquiry, much as it was for the development of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
MT,
The document was approved in common form, meaning it isn’t part of the magisterium in as much as Leo did not make it his own. If you’re going to comment as you do, the least you could do is understand what is and is not a pope’s teaching.
And to cite an excommunicate nutcase (if the boot fits) to make any point is self-defeating.
Nick
MT,
It’s obvious you don’t care to explain what makes something a vile or Satanic statement, preferring to simply block quote disagreeable people (or really, people you disagree with) and vaguely finger-point.
So it’s interesting that you post one of the most anodyne statements on the document I’ve seen as part of the basket of deplorables.
Nick
Oh? Under how many posts have you made multiple page-long comments excoriating such people? If you’re going to call people Satanists for disagreeing with non-magisterial statements of churchmen…
Nick
James Ignatius McAuley,
Thank you for your response.
May you, and your family, enjoy many happy, blessed years.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Where Peter Is blog has offered the following:
-- The Vatican Weighs in on Mary’s Titles
https://wherepeteris.com/the-vatican-weighs-in-on-marys-titles/story
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Fr. Z nyet, WPI by Mike (people attached to the TLM need to be culled) Lewis da. Verno, tovarisch?
Nick
Glad the DDF finally have closed down co-mediatrix/ redeemer stuff at long last!
+1 Fr K!!!! 👍
+1 Fr K!!!! 👍
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