Co-Redemptrix in Scripture
Regarding the specific use of the title of “Co-Redemptrix,” theologians have asserted this unique role of our Blessed Mother for centuries even though it has not been dogmatically defined as the Assumption or the Immaculate Conception were infallibly defined by the Vicar of Christ.
As recorded in the Gospel, the Archangel Gabriel spoke to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
“And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word shall be impossible with God” (Luke 1:35-37).
By this address to the Virgin Mary, the Archangel showed Her the sign that nothing is impossible with God as has been shown through St. Elizabeth’s conception of St. John the Baptist. And our Blessed Mother replied with insurmountable humility and wisdom in such a way that deserves repeating both now and forever: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38)
This radical humility is essentially the cornerstone of the Gospel. Without humility, there would be no Savior. He chose to dwell among us and humble Himself to suffer hunger, thirst, work, and the Cross. Mary also humbled herself in such a radical way by allowing Christ to take her body and turn it into the Ark of the New Covenant, where the greatest of all treasures would be kept. This is preciously one reason Mary is given the title Co-Redemptrix because she consented to be the Mother of God, but it is also because Mary plays a pivotal role in Christ’s sufferings and death.
In no way, however, does the title of Co-Redemptrix mean that Mary was equal to God as she also needed a Savior. As expressed with certainty and clarity in the Collect Prayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Christ saved His mother from sin before her conception:
O God, Who, by the Immaculate Conception of the virgin, didst prepare for Thy Son a worthy habitation, we beseech Thee, that as Thou didst preserve her from every stain by the foreseen death of this Thy Son, so Thou wouldst grant that we also being cleansed from guilt by her intercession, may come to Thee. Through the same our Lord.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, addressing this important point, affirms the Blessed Virgin Mary as Co-Redemptrix while asserting, contrary to the false claims of Protestants, her inferiority in comparison with God Himself:
“The title of Co-redemptrix applied to Mary never places her on a level of equality of with Jesus Christ, the divine Lord of all, in the saving process of humanity’s redemption. Rather, it denotes Mary’s regular and unique sharing (although subordinate and dependent) with her Son in the saving work of redemption for the human family.“The Mother of Jesus participates in the redemptive work of her Son, who alone could reconcile humanity with the Father in His glorious divinity and humanity. Because of her intimate and unparalleled sharing in the mysterious work with the divine Redeemer, both at the Incarnation (cf Lk 1:28) and at the work of redemption at Calvary (cf Jn19:26), Mary has merited the Church title, ‘Co-redemptrix’ which literally means, ‘with the Redeemer.’”
The Popes on Mary as Co-Redemptrix
While the title "Coredemptrix" first received Papal sanction under Pope St. Pius X, by his approval of its use in a decree of the Congregation of Rites concerning the feast of the Seven Dolors (A.A.S., Vol. 41, 1908, p. 409), centuries of tradition affirm the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role as Co-Redemptrix (i.e., working with the Redeemer) to bring about the world’s salvation.
Pope St. Pius X explains, "from this common sharing of sufferings and will, She merited to become most worthily the reparatrix of the lost world, and so the dispensatrix of all the gifts which were gained for us by the death and blood of Jesus. ... since She was ahead of all in holiness and union with Christ, and was taken up by Christ into the work of human salvation, She merited congruously, as they say, what Christ merited condignly, and is the chief minister of the dispensation of graces (Ad diem illum, Feb. 2, 1904).
His successor, Pope Benedict XV, teaches, "With Her suffering and dying Son She suffered and almost died, so did She surrender Her mother's rights over Her Son for the salvation of human beings, and to appease the justice of God, so far as pertained to Her, She immolated Her Son, so that it can be rightly said, that She together with Christ has redeemed the human race" (Admodum probatur, June 20, 1917).
The Sources of Catholic Dogma, Denzinger, plainly states: “In the decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office (section on indulgences), Sunt quos amor, June 26, 1913 (AAS 5 (1913) 363), he [Pope Benedict XV] praises the custom of adding to the name of Jesus the name of ‘His Mother, our coredemptor, the blessed Mary’; cf. also the prayer enriched by the Holy Office with an indulgence, in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is called ‘coredemptress of the human race’ (Jan. 22, 1914; AAS 6 [1914] 108).”
And after the death of St. Pius X, Pope Pius XI continued to affirm Mary as Co-Redemptrix throughout the years:
“The Virgin participated with Jesus Christ in the very painful act of the redemption” (Explorata res, 1923).
“And now lastly may the most benign Virgin Mother of God smile on this purpose and on these desires of ours; for since she brought forth for us Jesus our Redeemer, and nourished Him, and offered Him as a victim by the Cross, by her mystic union with Christ and His very special grace she likewise became and is piously called a reparatress [Co-Redemptrix]” (Miserentissimus Redemptor, 1928)
“[Mary became the Mother of Jesus] in order that she might become a partner in the redemption of the human race” (Auspicatus profecto, 1933)
The Theological Certainty of Mary as Co-Redemptrix:
Fathers Iesu Solano and J.A. de Aldama in Sacrae Thologiae Summa IVa "On the Incarnate Word; On the Blessed Virgin Mary" affirm, after considering the Scripture and Tradition surrounding our Lady the certainty of this title:
“That Mary cooperated with the work of the Redemption, at least mediately, is a matter of faith.“That she also cooperated immediately is a doctrine more in conformity with the quoted texts of the Holy Pontiffs. Indeed these texts, taken together as a whole, signify the constant teaching for a century of the Roman Pontiffs proposed to the whole Church more clearly with the passage of time for they are not unaware of the disputes of theologians over this matter.“That the title of Co-redemptrix is used rightly is certain; and it is not licit to doubt about its suitability.”
Simply put, those who claim that Mary should not be given the title of Co-Redemptrix gravely error and cause scandal to the entire Church. For such errors, I suggest offering a prayer of reparation.
