Co-Redemptrix?

[John_Henry]

“Co-redemptrix” is not doctrine or dogma! You don’t have to believe this!!!

From Redemptoris Mater, quoting the Second Vatican Council:

From the text of John it is evident that it is a mediation which is maternal. As the Council proclaims: Mary became “a mother to us in the order of grace.” This motherhood in the order of grace flows from her divine motherhood. Because she was, by the design of divine Providence, the mother who nourished the divine Redeemer, Mary became “an associate of unique nobility, and the Lord’s humble handmaid,” who "cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Savior’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls."45 And “this maternity of Mary in the order of grace. . .will last without interruption until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect.”

That is the teaching of a pope, and of an ecumenical council.

 

[John_Henry]

And finally, and then I’ll shut up:
The catechism, #1521:
*

Union with the passion of Christ

. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ’s Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior’s redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.

 

[John_Henry]

John_Henry:

And finally, and then I’ll shut up:

OK, OK. After this one, I’ll shut up:
From the catechism, 618:

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the “one mediator between God and men”.452 But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, **“the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery” is offered to all men.**453 He calls his disciples to “take up [their] cross and follow [him]”,454 for "Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps."455 **In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries.456 This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering.**457

 

[m134e5]

“Co-redemptrix” is not doctrine or dogma! You don’t have to believe this!!!

This is the wrong approach. Doctrines are not to be picked apart and only believed if you have to believe them. These things are a part of the beauty of our holy Faith. Giving the title of Co-Redemptrix to Mary simply means she helps in the redemption of mankind. By saying “behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.” in response to St. Gabriel’s annunciation, she participated in salvation- she agreed to carry the messiah- to be the first tabernacle for Jesus Christ.

If you understand the Church’s definition of the term “Co-Redemptrix” (which, again, I admit the Church needs to update it’s ways of translating theological terms like this one into English by about 300 years), and you truly love Jesus, Mary, the Church, and humanity, then this is not a hard thing at all to accept- but no, from a legalistic perspective, you do not HAVE to accept it.

 

[jordan]

m134e5:

If you understand the Church’s definition of the term “Co-Redemptrix” (which, again, I admit the Church needs to update it’s ways of translating theological terms like this one into English by about 300 years), and you truly love Jesus, Mary, the Church, and humanity, then this is not a hard thing at all to accept- but no, from a legalistic perspective, you do not HAVE to accept it.

Dr. Ludwig Ott’s classic Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Book 3, Part 3, Chapter 3, is titled “Mary’s Co-operation in the Work of Redemption.” The Mother of God played a singular role in this “work,” and in this the Church has never claimed that she is equal to her Son, but for a Catholic to fail to accept her unique and pivotal “co-operation in the work of redemption” would be wrong.

The Church proclaims that Mary is the Mother of the Word Incarnate, the Theotokos, the woman who bore the Son of God in her womb and nursed him at her breast. Because she is truly the Mother of God, in defining the Immaculate Conception, Pope Pius IX tells us that “she approaches as near to God Himself as is possible for a created being; and that she is above all men and angels in glory.” (Ineffabilis Deus)

As THE FALL was the choice of a man and a woman to disobey the will of God (the woman who was taken from the flesh of the man), so is the REDEMPTION accomplished through the perfect obedience of a Man and a Woman (this time the Man is taken from the flesh of the Woman).

Ineffabilis Deus refers to the ancient ecclesiatical writers who saw in the Virgin Mother of the Redeemer the woman refered to by the Lord God when He speaks to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.” (Genesis 3: 15) She is chosen for this work “from the very beginning.” She is compared to the first woman, Eve:

Eve listened to the serpent with lamentable consequences; she fell from original innocence and became his slave. The most Blessed Virgin, on the contrary, ever increased her original gift, and not only never lent an ear to the serpent, but by divinely given power she utterly destroyed the force and dominion of the evil one. (Ineffabilis Deus)

She is the Ark of the New and Everlasting Covenant. The old Ark of the Covenant contained Aaron’s staff (high priestly authority), the tablets of the Commandments (the law) and manna (the perishable bread). Through her cooperation in the will of God, from her very flesh, we receive the Eternal High Priest, the New Covenant, and the Bread of Eternal Life.

As she was with Him at conception, she is with him in life, in death on the cross (where Simeon foretold that her heart too would be pierced), and in the Resurrection. The dogma of the Assumption teaches that the Mother of God is with her Son, bodily, remaining ever untouched by corruption of death.

If we have come to hold a limited understanding of what “co-” means, consider what Merriam-Webster offers:

Main Entry: co-
Function: prefix
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, from *com-; *akin to Old English *ge-, *perfective and collective prefix, Old Irish *com- *with
1 : with : together : joint : jointly <coexist> <coheir>
2 : in or to the same degree <coextensive>
3 a : one that is associated in an action with another : fellow : partner <coauthor> <coworker> b : having a usually lesser share in duty or responsibility : alternate : deputy <copilot>

I would submit that definitions 1 and 3 apply quite well. She has never been considered equal to God by the Church. The Mother of God did participate uniquely WITH the Son in that work of redemption, and as Catholics, we need to be able to defend this beautiful reality of our faith.

God bless,
jb