The Mother of All Peoples

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. At the Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:26ff), Mary's freely given "yes" to the angel's invitation (cf. Lk 1:38) effectively brings to the human family its Redeemer. By virtue of her free and active cooperation in God becoming man to save us, Mary already merits the title of "Co-redemptrix."

Hebrews 10:10 tells us that we are "sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all." But from whom did the Redeemer receive his body, the very instrument of Redemption? He received his body from Mary, who therefore played an intimate role in the redeeming of the human race, far beyond any other creature.

Church Fathers recognized the Incarnation as "the Redemption anticipated and begun." Since Mary interiorly participated in God becoming man, and since God became man to save us in the historical order, which included original sin, then Mary intimately participates in Redemption through her interior participation in the Incarnation. (12) Although Mary's participation in the Incarnation justifies on its own her title of Co-redemptrix, her coredemptive role has only historically begun.

At the event of the Presentation of the Lord (cf. Lk 2:22ff), the prophet Simeon prophesies of Mary's union with her messianic Son, a sign of contradiction for the world, that "a sword shall pierce through your own soul, too" (Lk 2:25). The Mother will suffer in union with her Son, who will be offered at Calvary for the sins of the world. As the Son's side will be pierced (cf. Jn 19:34), so too will the Mother's heart be pierced in a mission of Redemption and Coredemption.

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. (13) 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." (14)

Mary offered Jesus to the Father (as she had done by way of foreshadowing in the Presentation of the Temple), 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 the Church says Mary is 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 merits for her the Co-redemptrix title.

The doctrine of Marian Coredemption is contained within the patristic concept of the New Eve. As Eve uniquely cooperated with Adam in the fall of the human race, so Mary, the New Eve, uniquely cooperated with Jesus Christ, the New Adam, in the restoration of graces for the human race. (15) St. Jerome's formula, "Death through Eve, Life through Mary" conveys Our Lady's unique role in salvation. St. Irenaeus highlights the Virgin's coredemptive role in his famous teaching; that Mary became "the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race." (16)

Papal Teaching

The Papal Magisterium has consistently taught the doctrine of Marian Coredemption and has repeatedly used the Co-redemptrix title in reference to Our Lady. Let us cite a few papal examples:

• Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) states specifically that, together with Christ, Mary "redeemed the human race": "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." (17)

• Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) referred to Mary under the title of 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." (18)

• Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) used the title "Loving Associate of the Redeemer" to describe Our Lady's coredemptive role and gave the following explanation:

• The Second Vatican Council explicitly teaches the doctrine of Marian Coredemption, describing Mary's suffering and offering in union with the Redeemer:

• John Paul II (1978-2005) has been referred to as the "Pope of the Co-redemptrix," for no other pontiff has done more to expand the Church's awareness of Marian Coredemption. (20) Not only did John Paul II refer to the Blessed Virgin as the Co-redemptrix on six occasions in papal addresses, (21) but he also expanded the Church's understanding of Marian Coredemption beyond any other pope. For example, in his 1987 Marian encyclical John Paul II describes Our Lady's coredemptive suffering with Jesus as "perhaps the deepest 'kenosis' of faith in human history":

• In a 1985 papal homily, John Paul II not only uses the title Co-redemptrix but also provides a profound theological context of her "spiritual crucifixion" for the proper understanding of Our Lady's coredemptive role. We here present only a brief excerpt of John Paul II's homily:

• Pope Benedict XVI has continued papal teaching and testimony of Mary's unique share in the Redemption:

The Witness of the Saints

The mind of a saint is supernaturally disposed to the truth. It is therefore particularly valuable to see the witness of the saints and mystics to 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." (25) 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." (26)

St. Catherine of Siena (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." (27)

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

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." (29)