Vatican cautions against Marian title: ‘Co-Redemptrix’

November 04, 2025

In a document released on November 4, the Vatican discourages referring to the Virgin Mary as “Co-Redemptrix,” explaining that the title can convey an inaccurate understanding of Mary’s role in the work of salvation.

The Vatican document, Mater Populi Fidelis, issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DFF) with the approval of Pope Leo XIV, stresses that Jesus alone provides the means to redemption, and Mary herself must be recognized as His disciple. The document states:

Given the necessity of explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it would not be appropriate 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).

In a covering letter that accompanied the release of the document, Cardinal Victor Fernandez the prefect of the DDF, says that the Vatican statement was issued in response to “numerous requests and proposals that have reached the Holy See in recent decades” regarding the proper titles for the Virgin. He assures readers that the intent of the document is not to discourage Marian devotion but to ensure that it is expressed in accurate theological term, to avoid “sowing confusion among ordinary members of the faithful.”

The DDF document also offers a cautions about another title often used for the Virgin: “Mediatrix of all Graces.” Contrary to a widespread report the document does not disallow use of that title, but warns that it can be misunderstood, insofar as it “risks presenting Mary as the one who distributes spiritual goods or energies apart from our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” The DDF recommends the use of titles that are not subject to such misunderstandings, such as “Mother of the Faithful People”—the English translation of the document’s title, Mater Populi Fidelis.

Acknowledging the unique and enormous role that the Catholic faith assigns to Mary, the DFF document notes that “many members of the faithful throughout history have sought to refer to the Mother using the most beautiful words to exalt the special place she holds at Christ’s side.” The early Church fathers gave her the exalted title of Theotokos, the Mother of God, and from the earliest days of the Church the faithful have seem the Virgin as the perfection of holiness.

The term “Co-Redemptrix” first emerged in the 15th century, the statement says. Pope John Paul II used that title repeatedly, but not in authoritative Church documents. And in 1996, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger advised against the use of the title; he would later explain that it “gives rise to misunderstandings.” Mater Populi Fidelis notes that the term “Co-Redemptrix” might suggest an equal role, whereas Mary “was herself redeemed by Christ and transformed by the Spirit, prior to any possible action of her own.”

Similarly, in its caution about the title “Mediatrix of all Graces,” the document reasons:

The biblical statement about Christ’s exclusive mediation is conclusive. Christ is the only Mediator, “for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:5-6).

Much of the substance of the DDF statement—which runs over 13,000 words, with nearly 200 footnotes—seeks to set forth a proper understanding of Mary’s role in salvation. Mater Populi Fidelis argues that the key to unlocking the mystery of the Virgin’s spiritual powers lies in her role as mother: as Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and Mother of all Christians:

Mary’s incomparable greatness lies in what she has received and in her trusting readiness to allow herself to be overtaken by the Spirit. When we strive to attribute active roles to her that are parallel to those of Christ, we move away from the incomparable beauty that is uniquely hers.

 

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Further information:

• Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: “Mater Populi Fidelis” [full text]
• Doctrinal Note on Marian titles: Mother of the faithful, not Co-redemptrix (Vatican News)