The Vatican has ruled that Jesus alone redeemed humanity, rejecting the title of “co-redeemer” for Mary in a new decree approved by Pope Leo.
The Vatican has declared that Jesus Christ alone saved the world, rejecting the notion that the Virgin Mary played a co-redeeming role.
In a new decree approved by Pope Leo, the Church’s doctrinal office directed Catholics not to call Mary the “co-redeemer” of the world. “It would not be appropriate to use the title ‘co-redemptrix’,” the text said, warning that it “can create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith.”
The statement ends decades of debate within the Church, which saw disagreements among popes. The late Pope Francis had called the idea “foolishness,” saying Mary “never wanted to take anything for herself from her son.”
While reaffirming her role as an intermediary, the Vatican noted that by giving birth to Jesus, she “opened the gates of the Redemption that all humanity had awaited.”