The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will present on the upcoming November 4 the document Mater Populi Fidelis (“Faithful Mother of the People”), dedicated to the cooperation of the Virgin Mary in the work of salvation.
The text will be presented by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery, accompanied by the theologian Fr. Matteo Armando and the consultant Fr. Maurizio Gronchi. The publication seeks to offer a balanced doctrinal reflection on Mary’s role, avoiding confusions surrounding the title of “Co-Redemptrix”.
Cooperator, not co-redemptrix
The Church has taught for centuries that Mary participated in a unique way in the redemption, by freely consenting to the Incarnation and by remaining at the foot of the cross. But doctrinal balance consists in recognizing her cooperation without confusing it with the exclusive function of the Son.
The term “Co-Redemptrix,” although present in the tradition—already in the 10th century she was called Redemptrix—, was never defined as dogma, and the Second Vatican Council chose not to include it in Lumen Gentium, preferring expressions such as “cooperator” or “associated with the work of Christ”.
In this context, doctrinal discretion and clarity will be decisive. The Church, which venerates Mary as Mother of God and mediatrix of all graces, must remember that no title can overshadow the central mystery of redemption in Christ, but neither reduce the role of Her who said “yes” on behalf of all humanity.
A theological debate in depth
Throughout the 20th century, Marian theology experienced intense development. ACI Prensa recalls that St. John Paul II used the title “Co-Redemptrix” on at least six occasions, while Benedict XVI —when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger— considered the term “too distant from Scripture.” In contrast, Pope Francis showed explicit reservations: in 2021 he stated that Mary is “mother, not goddess, not co-redemptrix.”
The current context in Rome
The publication of the new document arrives at a moment of doctrinal transition in the Vatican, under the direction of Cardinal Fernández, known for his pastoral approach and his more free interpretive style regarding magisterial texts. Mater Populi Fidelis is presented, according to Vatican sources, as an attempt to “integrate the various sensitivities” regarding Mary’s role, without advancing toward dogmatic definitions.
Nevertheless, the fact that the note is published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith gives it particular weight: it will be the first official Marian declaration of the current prefect, and it will set the tone of the pontificate in matters of Mariology.