SW News:

The Holy Father has put an end to a theological debate as to whether the Church should issue a dogmatic declaration describing the Blessed Virgin as ‘Co-Redemptrix’ in honour of her unique role in humanity’s salvation. 

During his general audience on March 24, Pope Francis said that Jesus entrusted the Blessed Virgin to believers as a Mother and not as co-redeemer. He said while Christians had always honoured Mary with beautiful titles, one has to remember that Jesus is the only redeemer. 

“Jesus extended Mary’s maternity to the entire Church when He entrusted her to his beloved disciple shortly before dying on the cross,” the pope said. 

“From that moment on, we have all been gathered under her mantle, as depicted in certain medieval frescoes or paintings. Even the first Latin antiphon -- sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix: the Madonna who ‘covers,’ like a Mother, to whom Jesus entrusted us, all of us; but as a Mother, not as a goddess, not as co-redeemer: as Mother,” said the pontiff. 

The Holy Father explained that the Christian piety had given Her beautiful titles in the manner in which a child gives his or her mamma and how they say beautiful things about their mothers. 

“But we need to be careful: the things the Church, the saints, say about her, beautiful things, about Mary, subtract nothing from Christ’s sole Redemption. He is the only Redeemer. They are expressions of love like a child for his or her mamma -- some are exaggerated. But love, as we know, always makes us exaggerate things, but out of love,” he said. 

The Holy Father was speaking in the library of the Apostolic Palace because of the pandemic restrictions and the address was part of his cycle of catechesis on prayer he had started in May and resumed in October. 

Speaking on the Vigil of the Annunciation, the pontiff said, “Christ is the Mediator, Christ is the bridge that we cross to turn to the Father. He is the only Redeemer: there are no co-redeemers with Christ. He is the only one. He is the Mediator par excellence.” 

The pope said Mary has a unique place in the lives of Christians and in their prayer as well because of her role as the Mother of Jesus. 

Referring to a famous image of the Virgin venerated in Bari Cathedral, he stressed that the Blessed Mother shows the way to Her Son. 

He said: “Her hands, her eyes, her behavior are a living ‘catechism,’ always indicating the hinge, she always points out the center: Jesus. Mary is completely directed toward Him to such an extent that we can say she is more disciple than Mother. The directions she gave at the wedding at Cana: ‘He: do whatever he will tell you.’ She always refers to Christ. She is the first disciple.” 

Pope Francis explained how Christians began to pray to Mary with biblical expressions such as “full of grace” and “blessed are you among women”. After the Council of Ephesus in AD 431 approved the title ‘Mother of God’, it was added to the ‘Hail Mary’. 

Meditating on the last line of the prayer - “now and at the hour of our death”, the pontiff said “Mary is always present at the bedside of her children when they depart this world. If someone is alone and abandoned, she is Mother, she is there, near, as she was next to her Son when everyone else abandoned him.”