Fr. Z's Blog

UPDATE:

Since I posted, the website has been updated with working links and the English text.

Once again, the Holy See demonstrates its commitment to excellence on their website and the distribution of information.   At the time of this writing, the Bollettino for today has the

DICASTERIO PARA LA DOCTRINA DE LA FE
Mater Populi fidelis
Nota doctrinal sobre algunos títulos marianos
referidos a la cooperación de María
en la obra de la salvación

Oh yes… it’s in Spanish first.  Some 48K words!  Then Italian is listed… But it you click the link for any other language… nada.   Italian, English etc., nada.  However, if you scroll down you find the Italian text… or… some of it…

The document cuts off in par. 11.  The Spanish is 80 paragraphs.

Is there Latin, you ask?

HA HAH HAH HA HA… *wiping eyes”

Do you remember when we heard that a document was about to come out and we were excited to get our hands on it and look for all the good stuff in it?    Remember?

Now we hear that a document is coming out and we are filled with anxiety.   It’s like seeing road kill down the way.  You don’t want to look, but you do anyway.  And when you do, you look for the bad stuff, rather than the good.

I have not combed through this thing yet: Spanish is not my strong suit and this thing is massive.  It is dense with footnotes.  However, I can make out certain things.

Leo signed off on this. Simply.  Not in forma specifica (weightier).

What is the bottom line, you ask?  Does it trash the title Co-Redemptrix?  Mediatrix?

Not… quite.

The new document clearly “fences in” Mary’s role in how graces are given and it discourages Co-Redemptrix as “inopportune”.

The document explicitly states that the title Corredentora (“Co-Redemptrix”) is “inoportuna” in paragraph 22.

Here is the Spanish text:

«Teniendo en cuenta la necesidad de explicar el papel subordinado de María a Cristo en la obra de la Redención, es siempre inoportuno el uso del título de Corredentora para definir la cooperación de María. Este título corre el riesgo de oscurecer la única mediación salvífica de Cristo y, por tanto, puede generar confusión y un desequilibrio en la armonía de verdades de la fe cristiana…»

So, in 22 the DDF say that, although Mary truly cooperates in salvation, the use of the title Corredentora is “always inopportune” because it risks obscuring Christ’s unique and sufficient redemptive mediation.  An English rendering:

22. Taking into account the need to explain Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, the use of the title Co-Redemptrix to define Mary’s cooperation is always inopportune. This title runs the risk of obscuring the unique salvific mediation of Christ and, therefore, can generate confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith, because “there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). When an expression requires many and constant explanations in order to prevent it from being misunderstood, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unsuitable. In this case, it does not help to exalt Mary as the first and greatest collaborator in the work of Redemption and grace, because the danger of obscuring the exclusive place of Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man for our salvation, the only one capable of offering to the Father a sacrifice of infinite value, would not be a true honor to the Mother. Indeed, she, as the “handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38), points us to Christ and tells us to “do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).

UPDATE: Official trans:

22. 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). 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).

So, the document does not contradict any official teaching about Mary as Co-Redemptrix, because there isn’t one.  However, it clearly hems in her role.

Earlier popes (esp. John Paul II in non-definitive addresses) sometimes used Co-redemptrix in a participatory, subordinate sense.  I know that Ratzinger/Benedict was cool about the term and thought it could be easily misunderstood.  I have often wondered if the term was beyond the ability of most priests (esp. of a certain age) to explain clearly (if they understood it at all).

That said, this is not a formal condemnation of the term.

It downplays also, leaning on Vatican II’s Lumen gentium, Mediatrix.

Many pre-Conciliar texts call Mary Mediatrix (Leo XIII, Pius X, Pius XII). Benedict XV authorized a Mass and Office of “Mary Mediatrix of All Graces”. Vatican II retained the title but immediately fenced it in saying that Mary’s mediation neither takes away from nor adds anything to Christ’s unique mediation. Today’s Note warns against any notion that sanctifying grace is “channeled” through Mary as a perfective cause or necessary conduit.  It describes her role as maternal intercession and dispositive help.

The document consistently treats Lumen gentium 60–62 as its doctrinal baseline.

So, what we have is a narrowing of titles which have been used somewhat more broadly.