Ecumenism Rules: No Titles for Mary as Coredemptrix and Mediatrix

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I'm reading the recent document on the Blessed Mother released by the Vatican Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. If you haven't heard of it yet, this document crushes the movement to declare Mary Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces. How low that office has fallen under its new prefect, the scandalous Cardinal Fernandez of kissing fame. 

Obviously, my expectations were not high considering the source, and it immediately became apparent why the Queen of Heaven is getting short shrift. The second paragraph of the document makes it abundantly clear what drives the dicastery: "a particular ecumenical effort." 

Just like the Mass had to be dumbed down to make it more acceptable to Protestants some of whom served on the committee to format the Novus Ordo, devotion to Mary must be swept under the ecumenical rug. It's interesting to note that the "new Mass" did not result in Protestants flocking to the Catholic Church. Instead, it drove many Catholics out into the desert. Will insulting the Blessed Mother help or hinder the "new evangelization" which, in reality, is no evangelization at all? I think the answer is obvious. In a didactic and rather scolding tone, the dicastery, while praising Mary, rather reduces her to the primary holy witness of the saving power of Christ. The ecumenical issue rises again in paragraph 18: "The Second Vatican Council refrained from using the title [Coredemptrix] for dogmatic, pastoral, and ecumenical reasons."

The document goes on to cite Pope Benedict XVI and Francis with arguments against naming Mary Coredemptrix, mostly the possible confusion that her action might be considered equal to her Son's. Would that the dicastery were consistent in suppressing confusion and chaos which the Vatican has created on many occasions. The document concludes the discussion of the title of Coredemptrix thus:

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

The document conveniently ignores four popes (in addition to St. John Paul II) who called Mary Coredemptrix including Pope St. Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI, and Pius XII who described her as Coredemptrix when he affirmed the dogma of the Assumption.

Much in the document could have been used to affirm Mary in the titles denied her. Paragraph 37 reads:

[Mary's] maternal role is indissolubly joined to Christ’s role and is directed toward him... “a devotion directed to the Christological center of the Christian faith, in such a way that ‘when the Mother is honored, the Son… is duly known, loved, and glorified.’”[82] Ultimately, Mary’s motherhood is subordinate[83] — to the Father’s election, to Christ’s work, and to the action of the Holy Spirit."

That same paragraph, however, says: 

one must avoid titles and expressions that present Mary as a kind of “lightning rod” before the Lord’s justice, as if she were a necessary alternative before the insufficiency of God’s mercy.

No true Catholic makes that mistake. We take Mary's hand, not because she is "a necessary alternative" to Christ, but because she leads us directly to Him telling us as she did to the waiters at Cana, "Do whatever He tells you." 

With regard to "confusion" there are many doctrines that need to be explained. How many understand the doctrine that "outside the Church there is no salvation?" How many understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity? It is the duty of the magisterium to explain the doctrines, obligations often ignored. I remember with grief the silence after Humanae Vitae. Was explaining Church teaching that made contraception intrinsically evil too challenging to the modern zeitgeist? Were the bishops bowing to human respect or to fear of losing the almighty dollar? Honoring Mary with the titles of Redemptrix and Mediatrix would offer a tremendous opportunity to increase Marian devotion and point out the reality that Christ, who came through Mary, wishes us to come back to Him through her. Why? Out of our need to develop a profound humility recognizing that we are not worthy to unloose the strap of Christ's sandals. Mary is the sinless intercessor who can bring us to her Son most quickly.

Declaring Mary Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces would be an opportunity to enrich the understanding of the faithful about Mary's role in salvation. But if the goal is to mollify the Protestants, then the purpose of the document is clear. Many Protestants detest Mary. They misrepresent what the Church teaches even when it is clearly explained. I've had more than one discussion with Protestants who claim we "worship" Mary.  After I explain our honor for the Mother of God and give a clear explanation of our true relationship, back goes the Protestant to his original accusation. Sorry, Charlie, you are not arguing in good faith with the desire to find truth, but appear to only want to condemn the Church as the whore of Babylon. 

Our Lady of Grace - Is this
image on the chopping block?

There is much in the dicastery's document that proclaims the holiness and beauty of the Mother of God. With a different orientation, it could have easily have resulted in affirmation of her role as Coredemptrix and Mediatrix. But any Catholic who is paying attention must be well aware that the faith since Vatican II has been gutted and watered down by those advocating and working for a new church. What is the new church? A faith with presiders rather than priests, with relative teaching rather than dogma, and with a happy clappy liturgy instead of the liturgy of sacrifice and atonement for sins. All very sad and a situation that calls for many rosaries and penance, penance, penance.

We've lost so much. Personally, I refuse to lose the centrality of Our Lady as the one who leads us straight to her Son, the only source of our redemption. Her fiat made her Coredemptrix. Without her there is no "Word made flesh." She is, indeed, the channel of all graces by the desire of her Son. It's about humility, stupid!

Some final questions. Do you trust Cardinal Fernandez, the kissing bishop, and his dicastery to promulgate the truth? Has the curia become the repository of political correctness and confusion, a primary source of the crisis in the Church? Have many of the magisterium lost the faith? That's easy to answer if you look at Germany.

Let us all read the Church Fathers and the Holy Saints and Doctors of the Church. To put our trust in recent popes is foolhardy at best when they deviate from the faith of our fathers, a pretty common event these days. Are they really teaching the faith in their off the cuff remarks about climate change and honoring pro-abortion politicians? All I can say is keep the faith and follow Padre Pio's advice to pray, hope, and don't worry.

Jesus, Our King and Only Savior, have mercy on us.

Our Lady, Help of Christians and Mediatrix of All Graces, pray for us.

St. Joseph, Guardian of the Universal Church, pray for us.