Doctrinal Note Clarifies Marian Titles: Mary is Mother of the Faithful, Not Co-redemptrix

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has released a new doctrinal document on November 4, clarifying the correct understanding of certain Marian titles in relation to the mystery of salvation. Approved by Pope Leo XIV, the note titled Mater populi fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People”) provides guidance on how the faithful should understand and use traditional expressions that describe the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in God’s plan.

Signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the DDF, and Monsignor Armando Matteo, Secretary of its Doctrinal Section, the document was approved by the Pope on October 7. According to Vatican News, it is the fruit of a long and collegial effort to present sound biblical and theological foundations for Marian devotion rooted in Scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the Eastern tradition, and the Magisterium of recent Popes.

The Note emphasizes that devotion to Mary must always highlight the centrality of Christ and His unique saving work. It encourages the use of traditional and doctrinally sound titles such as “Mother of Believers,” “Spiritual Mother,” and “Mother of the Faithful,” while discouraging terms that may obscure Christ’s sole mediatorship.

Among these, the title Co-redemptrix is described as inappropriate and potentially misleading. The Note explains that, while some Popes have used the term historically, it has never been defined dogmatically. It has been used in two limited senses, to refer to Mary’s divine motherhood, through which the Redeemer entered the world, and to her union with Christ in His suffering on the Cross.

However, the Second Vatican Council deliberately refrained from adopting the title Co-redemptrix for pastoral and ecumenical reasons. Saint John Paul II mentioned it in certain contexts, particularly when speaking about the value of human suffering united with Christ’s Passion, but always in a way that preserved the primacy of Christ’s redemptive act.

The Note recalls how, in 1996, the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith rejected a proposal to proclaim Mary as “Co-redemptrix or Mediatrix of all graces.” Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) opposed it, saying that the meaning of such titles was unclear and not sufficiently rooted in Scripture or apostolic tradition. He later explained that the expression Co-redemptrix “departs too greatly from the language of Scripture and the Fathers," risking misunderstandings by implying that Mary shares the same redemptive power as Christ.

Pope Francis, too, has spoken against the title Co-redemptrix, affirming that Christ alone is Redeemer and Mediator. The new document echoes this teaching, stating that using the title for Mary “risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation” and “can create confusion and imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith.”

Regarding the title Mediatrix, the Note affirms that “Christ is the only Mediator.” However, it allows that Mary may be called “mediatrix” in a subordinate and participatory sense, as one who cooperates through intercession, never adding to Christ’s redemptive power. Mary’s maternal role, the document explains, “in no way obscures or diminishes” Christ’s mediation but instead manifests its power and tenderness.

The Note warns against exaggerated expressions that present Mary as a “lightning rod” before divine justice, as if she were an alternative to God’s mercy. Instead, it upholds her true role as “Mother of Believers,” guiding Christians toward grace and deeper faith in her Son.

The DDF also calls for caution in the use of the title Mediatrix of All Graces. Quoting Cardinal Ratzinger, it observes that this title lacks a clear grounding in Revelation and could be misunderstood to mean that Mary distributes all grace independently. In truth, only God bestows grace through Christ’s humanity. Mary, the first redeemed, could not be the mediatrix of the grace she herself received.

Nevertheless, the Note acknowledges that, in popular devotion, references to Mary’s maternal help at different moments of life may rightly express her intercession and closeness to believers. When properly understood, these expressions can encourage love for the Blessed Mother and a deeper trust in the saving power of Christ, her Son.