The Trouble With Mary

It should come as no surprise that the Catholic Church’s two-thousand-year history has seen many controversies. Some of these controversies have been of genuine significance; others have been mere tempests in teapots. The Church’s issuing of a doctrinal note regarding Mary appears to be the latter.

Nevertheless, this document, entitled Mater Populi Fidelis, has confused Catholics and has been the source of derision from Protestants. It is, therefore, beneficial to examine this document and explain its significance.

The Mother of the Faithful People of God

On November 4, 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued Mater Populi Fidelis (Mother of the Faithful People of God). Among its duties, the Dicastery is responsible for disseminating Catholic doctrine and defending those points of Catholic tradition that appear to be in danger due to new and unacceptable doctrines. It is, I think, possible to distill the teachings of Mater Populi Fidelis into three points.

First, the document seeks to strongly affirm that Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and humanity, as well as the sole Redeemer. As such, it must be recognized that all grace flows from Him. Any understanding of Mary’s role must be subordinate and secondary to Christ’s unique saving work.

Second, Mater Populi Fidelis couches Mary’s relationship with Catholics as one of maternal cooperation and intercession. In this sense, Mary’s maternal nature is seen as that of a mother who intercedes for her children, always directing them back to her Son, Jesus Christ.

To that end, the document inculcates that Mary is the Mother of the Faithful People of God, our Spiritual Mother, and the Mother of Believers. As evidence of these claims is Mary’s cooperation at the Annunciation (fiat), and her presence at the Cross of Christ.

Ultimately, Mater Populi Fidelis seeks to purify and orient Marian devotion, ensuring it remains Christ-centered and fosters the harmony of the Catholic message as a whole. It seeks to encourage genuine Marian devotion while avoiding expressions that lead to a mistaken understanding of her role or sow theological confusion.

It is these expressions or titles associated with Mary that have drawn the most attention.

Theological Scrutiny Of The Titles

No saint in the history of the Catholic Church has more titles than Mary. It is estimated that there are hundreds of such titles; however, only six are considered doctrinally approved. They are Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption.

Mater Populi Fidelis concerns itself with discouraging Catholics from using two titles. The reason for this is the sense that these titles are theologically problematic and risk obscuring the fundamental truth of Christ’s unique role in salvation.

The first title deemed improper by the Church is that of Co-Redemptrix. Such a title suggests that Mary’s role is parallel to or equal to Christ in the work of Redemption. For this reason, the Church states the term does not “help extol Mary as the first and foremost collaborator” and risks eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ.

The term Redemptrix (Redeemer) appeared as early as the 10th century. (The term appears in a French hymn called “Sancta Redemptrix, ora pro nobis”). It was also used by some saints and popes (like St. John Paul II, on a few occasions), but was never formally defined as dogma.

At least part of the problem is in the translation from Latin to English. The prefix “co” (from Latin cum, meaning “with”) is the main stumbling block. While theologians intended the term to suggest Mary as a co-operator in a subordinate way, it can easily be interpreted to suggest equality or a parallel role with Christ when translated into English. This interpretation has the potential of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ as the single source of salvation (Acts 4:12). Mater Populi Fidelis, therefore, stresses that Christ’s work alone is sufficient for Redemption.

It should be noted that, in this sense, Mater Populi Fidelis is not tilling new ground. Vatican Two deliberately refrained from using the title Co-Redemptrix in the document on the Church (Lumen Gentium), opting instead for more cautious language like “truly Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer.”

The second title of Mary that concerned the Church is that of Mediatrix of All Graces. While Mary’s subordinate and participatory intercessory role is affirmed and encouraged, the specific title “Mediatrix of All Graces” suggests a universal dispensing of graces: a role that belongs only to God.

Mater Populi Fidelis also observes the logical contradiction in such a title. Since the Church holds that Mary was the first person saved by God’s grace (albeit preemptory), Mary can not also be the mediatrix of that grace. That is to say that she can not be both the cause of grace and the recipient of it.

The concept of Mary as an intercessor has a long-standing tradition. The specific title “Mediatrix of All Graces” gained traction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with some advocating for its dogmatic definition. The term Mediatrix itself is acceptable when understood in the subordinate sense of intercession (as are all the saints). The problem lies with the addition of “of All Graces” to that title.

Supporters of Mary as “Mediatrix of All Graces” argue that since Mary is the means by which Christ, the source of all grace, came into the world, it is fitting to believe she mediates the distribution of the graces won by Christ. (Lyons, Irenaeus St. Irenaeus. Against Heresies. 2018).

Mater Populi Fidelis’s rejection of the title Mediatrix of All Graces is founded on a fundamental truth of Catholicism: Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity. As such, Mary’s mediation is entirely dependent on Christ. For this reason, Vatican Two’s Lumen Gentium refers to Mary as “Mediatrix” only once, clarifying that her role “neither takes away from the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator, nor adds anything to them.” The Council provided a framework that affirms her maternal intercession while strictly safeguarding the unique mediation of Christ, which is the exact point Mater Populi Fidelis reinforces.

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces” stems from an effort over the centuries to articulate Mary’s unique cooperation in Christ’s saving work. However, this effort often led to theologically problematic language.

To address this issue, Mater Populi Fidelis emphasizes Mary’s immense beauty and unique role as a perfect example of God’s grace, while establishing firm boundaries on the theological language used to describe her, thereby safeguarding the central dogma of Christ’s sole mediation.