{"id":14105,"date":"2025-11-07T14:52:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=14105"},"modified":"2025-11-07T14:52:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:52:02","slug":"vatican-confirms-that-only-jesus-saves-not-mary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2025\/11\/vatican-confirms-that-only-jesus-saves-not-mary.html","title":{"rendered":"Vatican Confirms That Only Jesus Saves, Not Mary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Vatican has issued a statement regarding the status of the Virgin Mary as a \u201cco-redeemer\u201d with Christ, which many have come to believe that salvation comes through both Jesus and Mary. Catholics revere Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the point of being accused of idolatry by Protestants. The Vatican\u2019s statement<\/a>, however, condemned the use of \u201cco-redeemer\u201d or \u201cco-redemptrix\u201d when referring to the Virgin. According to the Vatican, the statement was released due to \u201cnumerous requests and proposals\u201d received by the Holy See \u201cregarding questions pertaining to Marian devotion and certain Marian titles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The term in question, \u201cco-redeemer\u201d or \u201cco-redemptrix\u201d can trace its history to the 15th<\/sup> century as a replacement for \u201cRedemptrix\u201d, which was meant as an abbreviation of \u201cMother of Redeemer.\u201d The meaning of \u201cco-redemptrix,\u201d however, has never been clearly defined, leading to confusion. The Vatican noted the term had been used by Pope John Paul II at least on seven occasions, however he stopped using the term in the 90s after pushback. Pope Benedict XVI, while he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stated the term was too unclear, and then in 2002 as Pope, he rejected the use of the title, saying, \u201cthe formula \u2018Co-redemptrix\u2019 departs to too great an extent from the language of Scripture and of the Fathers and therefore gives rise to misunderstandings.\u201d Pope Francis after him strongly rejected the title, asserting that Mary, \u201cnever wished to appropriate anything of her Son for herself. She never presented herself as a co-Savior.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the necessity of explaining Mary\u2019s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it<\/em>\u00a0is always inappropriate\u00a0<\/em>to use the title \u2018Co-redemptrix\u2019 to define Mary\u2019s cooperation,\u201d the Vatican concluding, saying the title \u201crisks obscuring Christ\u2019s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith.\u201d The statement cited Acts 4:12, which states, \u201cthere is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement is signed with the authority of Pope Leo XIV, creating a final say on Mary\u2019s role, or lack, in redemption. Speaking to La Repubblica<\/a>, Vatican correspondent Iacopo Scaramuzzi called the statement a necessary move in fighting the \u201ccult of the Madonna.\u201d \u201cThe Vatican is cracking down on a devotion which is spreading on social media, and which is a specific devotion embraced especially by conservative Catholics,\u201d he said. The statement obtained a mixed reception, with Protestants praising it as a closer move to biblical clarity while some Catholics pushed back on it as taking honor away from Mary. \u201cThe Vatican released a statement on Mary today. Turns out they agree with us Protestants on this part, even though several Catholics tried to argue otherwise on X,\u201d wrote one user on X<\/a>. \u201cThe Note emphasises that \u201cthe biblical statement about Christ\u2019s exclusive mediation is conclusive. Christ is the only Mediator\u2019 The note states, the title of \u2018Co-redemptrix\u2019 is deemed inappropriate and problematic. So there you have it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Vatican has issued a statement regarding the status of the Virgin Mary as a \u201cco-redeemer\u201d with Christ, which many have come to believe that salvation comes through both Jesus and Mary. Catholics revere Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the point of being accused of idolatry by Protestants. The Vatican\u2019s statement, however, condemned the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":14108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nVatican Confirms That Only Jesus Saves, Not Mary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Vatican clarifies Mary\u2019s role in salvation, rejecting the title \u201cCo-redemptrix\u201d to affirm that Christ alone is the Redeemer of humanity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2025\/11\/vatican-confirms-that-only-jesus-saves-not-mary.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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