J.M.J.
On
the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2019, Pope Francis celebrated
Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, given in Spanish, the Holy
Father said, “When they come
with stories that we had to declare this, or make this other dogma or that, let
us not get lost in foolishness.”
Pope Francis was referring to the proposal
submitted by some clergy, consecrated and laity for the definition of a new
dogma: Mary, the Mother of God, is the Co-Redemptrix.
In
his Introduction to Mary: The Heart of Marian Doctrine and Devotion
(Goleta, California: Queenship Publishing Company, 2006), Mark I. Miravalle,
Professor of Theology and Mariology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville
and a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Steubenville, explains how Our Lady is
said to be the Co-Redemptrix, a term that has been used
since the fourteenth century.
“The
title, ‘Co-redemptix,’ refers to Mary’s unique participation with and under her
Divine Son Jesus Christ, in the historic Redemption of humanity. The prefix,
‘Co,’ comes from the Latin ‘cum,’ which means ‘with.’ The title of Coredemptrix
applied to the Mother of Jesus never places Mary on a level of equality with
Jesus Christ, the divine Lord of all, in the saving process of humanity’s Redemption.
Rather, it denotes Mary’s singular and unique sharing with her Son in the
saving work of Redemption for the human family. The Mother of Jesus
participates in the redemptive work of her Savior Son, who alone could reconcile
humanity with the Father in His glorious divinity and humanity.” (94-95)
Mary’s
entire existence has been one of cooperation with the Lord. So it was on
Calvary. She who was preserved by God from Original Sin at the moment of her
conception and heard from the mouth of Simeon that “you yourself a sword will
pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Saint Luke 2:35) accepted
the salvific death of her Son not with a “hands-off” approach but instead by
embracing it. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) of November 21, 1964,
painted this picture of Our Blessed Lady’s collaboration with the Almighty,
which included her heroic surrender to Christ’s ignominious death.
“Thus
the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully
persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in
keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity
of His suffering, associated herself with His sacrifice in her mother’s heart,
and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which was born of
her.” (58)
Deacon
Miravalle continued: “Mary uniquely participated in the sacrifice of Jesus on
Calvary and in the acquisition of the graces of Redemption for humanity
(theologically referred to as ‘objective redemption’). Mary offered her Son and
her maternal rights in relation to her Son to the Heavenly Father in perfect
obedience to God’s will and in atonement for the sins of the world. Mary’s
offering of her own Son on Calvary, along with her own motherly compassion,
rights and suffering, offered in union with her Son for the salvation of the
human family, merited more graces than any other created person. As Pope Pius
XII confirmed in his encyclical On the
Mystical Body, Mary “offered Him on Golgotha to the Eternal Father,
together with the holocaust of her maternal rights and her motherly love, like
a New Eve for all children of Adam.” (96)
Despite
her enormous grief as she watched her Son die, Our Lady generously “yielded”
Jesus to the purpose the Father through the Holy Spirit intended, namely the
reconciliation of the human race to its Creator. Although what Mary did on
Calvary was secondary and subordinate to what Christ did, it was, nevertheless,
necessary because God made it so. In His unparalleled wisdom, the Lord required
this all-encompassing—and real—sacrifice from Mary, who lived her fiat on Calvary with incredible trust in
God as she had at the Annunciation.
During
his homily, Pope Francis stated his preference for “disciple” to describe Our
Lady rather than “Co-Redemptrix.”
When
asked about Mary as the Co-Redemptrix, this correspondent answers that the notion, which has been taught for
centuries, is within the common teaching of the Church. Any definition can only be decided by the
Pope of the moment or an Ecumenical Council under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit.
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