Mary, Spiritual Mother and Mediatrix

Vatican II voices the same truth in these words:

Hence, even we, in offering a prayer, or fasting, for a family member or friend, are acting as secondary mediators between God and humanity in the order of spiritual intercession which, rather than detracting from the one mediation of Jesus, in fact, manifests and exercises the power of our one Divine Mediator to the Father.

Theologically, in regards to Mary, the term "mediatrix" refers to a secondary and subordinate female mediator who acts with the same intention as the primary and independent mediator; that is, the reconciliation of individuals. Mary participates in the one mediation of Jesus Christ like no other creature, and hence, she exclusively has the role of "Mediatrix" with Jesus in reconciling humanity with God.

Several scriptural events point to Mary's role as Mediatrix in the order of intercession. It was Mary's intercession at the wedding of Cana (Jn 2:1-11) that led to the first miracle of Our Lord and the beginning of his public ministry. At the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, Mary's physical intercession in bringing the unborn Christ to his unborn cousin, John the Baptist, led to John's sanctification in the womb of Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:41).

This role of Mary as "Mediatrix," or secondary and subordinate mediator with Jesus, has a strong foundation in the apostolic tradition as manifested in this fourth century profession by St. Ephraem (d. 373): "After the Mediator, you (Mary) are the Mediatrix of the whole world." (4)

More recently, Vatican II ends its beautiful treatment of Mary as "Mother in the order of grace" by confirming Mary's role and title as "Mediatrix":

Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. This, however, is so understood that it neither takes away anything from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator (Lumen Gentium, No. 62).

Pope John Paul II explained Mary's unique and exalted sharing in the one mediation of Jesus in his 1987 encyclical, "Mother of the Redeemer":

Mary's role as Mediatrix with Jesus, the one Mediator, has two fundamental expressions in the order of grace. First, Mary uniquely participated with Jesus Christ in reconciling God and man through the Redemption. For this role she has been called "Co-redemptrix" (meaning a secondary and subordinate participator in Jesus' Redemption of the world).

Secondly, Mary gave birth to Jesus, source of all grace, and she distributes all the graces merited by Jesus on Calvary to the human family. This role of Mary as the person responsible for the distribution of graces is referred to as "Dispenser of all graces" or oftentimes by the more general title, "Mediatrix of all graces." Because of the importance of both of these two elements of Mary's role as Mediatrix, let us examine them individually.

Co-redemptrix

When the Church calls Mary the "Co-redemptrix," she means that Mary uniquely participated in the Redemption of humanity with her Son Jesus Christ, although in a completely subordinate and dependent manner to that of her Son. The Blessed Virgin participated in Jesus' reconciliation of the human family with God like no other created person. Mary's unique participation in the Redemption was scripturally foreshadowed in the prophecy of Simeon at the Temple where he said to Mary: "a sword will pierce your own heart, too" (Lk 2:35).

How did the Mother of Jesus do this? First of all, Mary participated in Redemption by accepting the invitation of the angel to become the Mother of God and by giving flesh to the Savior. Early Church Fathers saw the Incarnation and Redemption as one, unified, saving act (since the Angel Gabriel outlined Jesus' redemptive act in his heavenly message), and Mary brought the world its Redeemer at the Incarnation.

The parallel between Eve and Mary is significant here. As Eve gave the fruit to Adam as the instrument for the fall of humanity, Mary gave a body to Jesus as the instrument for the Redemption of humanity. As Hebrews 10:10 tells us, the body of Jesus Christ was the instrument for the Redemption of the human family. Since the very instrument for the Redemption, the body of Jesus, was given to him by Mary, the Mother of Jesus clearly played an intimate part in the redeeming of the human race with her Son, far beyond that of any other creature.

Secondly, Mary uniquely participated in the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary for the Redemption of humanity, theologically referred to as "objective redemption." Mary offered the maternal rights of her Son on the cross to the 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. (5) 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" (Mystici Corporis).

Mary, in an act of obedience to the will of God, offered Jesus, and with Jesus, her own suffering by sharing in the experience of the passion and death of Our Lord in atonement for our sins. It is in this sense that we say Mary offered her maternal rights on Calvary and rightly refer to Mary as the Co-redemptrix with the Redeemer.

Again it must be stated that Mary's participation in the Redemption of the human family was completely and in every way secondary and dependent to the sacrifice of Jesus the Savior. Hence, the title Co-redemptrix should never be interpreted as Mary having an equal role in the salvation of the world with Jesus. At the same time, her truly meritorious act of giving flesh to the Redeemer and of participating uniquely in Jesus' painful sacrifice rightly won for her the title of Co-redemptrix.

Papal Teaching

The Church's Magisterium has unquestionably confirmed the completely subordinate but authentic co-redeeming role of the Mother of Jesus. Let us cite a few papal examples:

• Pope Benedict XV in his 1918 apostolic letter stated: "To such extent did she (Mary) suffer and almost die with her suffering and dying Son, and to such extent did she surrender her maternal rights over her Son for man's salvation...that we may rightly say that she together with Christ redeemed the human race" (Inter Sodalicia).

• Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) referred to Mary as the Co-redemptrix three times in various papal documents. In one papal statement Pope Pius addressed Mary in these words, "O Mother of piety and mercy who, when thy most beloved Son was accomplishing the Redemption of the human race on the altar of the cross, did stand there both suffering with Him, and as a Co-redemptrix; preserve in us the precious fruit of this Redemption and of thy compassion." (6)

• Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) used the title "Loving Associate of the Redeemer" to describe Mary's unique participation in Redemption (7) and gave the following explanation:

• The Second Vatican Council beautifully synthesized Mary's unique participation in the Redemption with the following words:

• John Paul II in his 1987 Marian encyclical continued the papal affirmation of Mary's unique participation in Redemption, calling it "perhaps the deepest 'kenosis' of faith in human history":

• And in a 1985 papal statement, John Paul specifically used the title Co-redemptrix in developing the understanding of Mary's spiritual crucifixion at the foot of the cross:

The Witness of the Saints

The mind of a saint is supernaturally disposed to the truth. The more sanctified the human heart, the more docile is the human mind to revealed mysteries of faith. The saints have sacrificed all worldly desires for the sake of the heavenly paradise, and therefore have much less propensity for their intellects being skewed or confused due to attachments of the world—human agenda, ecclesiastical or otherwise, which can obscure divine truths and impede their assent. It is therefore particularly valuable to see what they have said of Mary Co-redemptrix.

St. Bridget of Sweden (d.1373) was told in a vision by the Mother of Sorrows herself: "My son and I redeemed the world as with one heart." (9) Jesus confirmed the same truth to St. Bridget in his own words: "My Mother and I saved man as with one Heart only, I by suffering in My Heart and My Flesh, she by the sorrow and love of her Heart." (10)

St. Catherine of Sienna (d.1380), called the Blessed Mother the "Redemptrix of the human race": "O Mary... bearer of the light... Mary, Germinatrix of the fruit, Mary, Redemptrix of the human race because, by providing your flesh in the Word, you redeemed the world. Christ redeemed with His passion and you with your sorrow of body and mind." (11)

Venerable Mary of Agreda (d.1665), the renowned Spanish mystic of the seventeenth century also calls Our Lady the "Redemptrix":

Just as she cooperated with the passion and gave her Son to take part in the human lineage, so the same Lord made her participant of the dignity of Redemptrix, having given her the merits and the fruits of Redemption so that she can distribute them and with one hand communicate all this to those redeemed. (12)

St. John Eudes (d.1680), that passionate preacher of devotion to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary, called the Mother of God the "Co-redemptrix with Christ": "All the Fathers of the Church say clearly that she is Co-redemptrix with Christ in the work of our salvation." (13)

The famous English convert, Ven. Cardinal John Henry Newman (d.1890), one of the most quoted theological sources at the Second Vatican Council, defended the title of Mary Co-redemptrix in his dialogue with the Anglican clergyman Pusey: