Is Mary the Co-redeemer?

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Vigis

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I thought that this would be a good debate among Catholics. It has been in debate now within the Church well over a century to what I know. I do not think she is our co-redeemer. I believe she participated in the plan for our salvation, but she is not our co-redeedmer. Here is a quote from the Council of Trent:

Pope Pius IV, Council of Trent, Sess. 25, On Invocation, Veneration and Relics of Saints, and on Sacred Images, ex cathedra: “…the saints, who reign with Christ, offer up their prayers to God for me; and that it is good and useful to invoke them suppliantly and, in order to obtain favors from God through His Son JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, WHO ALONE IS OUR REDEEMER and Savior….But if anyone should teach or maintain anything contrary to these decrees, let him be anathema.” (Denz. 984-987)

So what do you believe?

God speed.

Vigis
 
Vigis said:
I thought that this would be a good debate among Catholics. It has been in debate now within the Church well over a century to what I know. I do not think she is our co-redeemer. I believe she participated in the plan for our salvation, but she is not our co-redeedmer. Here is a quote from the Council of Trent:

Pope Pius IV, Council of Trent, Sess. 25, On Invocation, Veneration and Relics of Saints, and on Sacred Images, ex cathedra: “…the saints, who reign with Christ, offer up their prayers to God for me; and that it is good and useful to invoke them suppliantly and, in order to obtain favors from God through His Son JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, WHO ALONE IS OUR REDEEMER and Savior….But if anyone should teach or maintain anything contrary to these decrees, let him be anathema.” (Denz. 984-987)

So what do you believe?

God speed.

Vigis
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I don’t like the term myself, together with “Mediatrix of all Grace”, but the theology underlying the title is sound.

Just think of it this way. We are saved by grace, by the merits of Christ’s death. But to be saved, we must accept that grace and respond to it. In that sense, we cooperate in our own redemption by accepting it. In that sense, we are our own co-redeemer.

When you see a loved one in sin, and you do penances and prayers for God to touch his heart, and he answers your prayer by sending the grace of conversion and he indeed repents and is restored to grace, you were not only his intercessor, you are also his co-redeemer.

Well, our Lady is the one in heave closest to the Lord, she who by her fiat cooperated with God’s grace and brought Grace Himself into the world so that he can die and redeem us. She never stops praying for the salvation of souls, and doubtless, Christ answers. In that sense, she is co-redeemer.

So if you can be your own co-redeemer, or someone else’s, surely our Lady can be everyone’s.

But in all this, who was THE Redeemer? Christ alone.
 
Vigis said:
I do not think she is our co-redeemer. I believe she participated in the plan for our salvation:
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That’s all that the term implies.

It does not imply that Mary in any way redeemed us. It merely emphasises the importance of Mary’s fiat in bringing about our redemption.
 
levi86 said:
**That’s all that the term implies. **

It does not imply that Mary in any way redeemed us. It merely emphasises the importance of Mary’s fiat in bringing about our redemption.
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Ditto here.👍 So let the attack begin!
 
Just one more thing.

The definition of the prefix “co” in Latin reads as follows: a ab abs : (prep + abl) in connection with, with regard to.

It in no way denotes an equal standing on the part of Mary to that of Christ. Therefore when read correctly the term “co-redeemer” states that Mary acted “in connection” or “with regards to” THE redeemer. Think about this passage…

Colossians 1:24-25
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God,

We see here that as part of the body of Christ every Christian (especially and primarily Mary) is a co-redeemer, in that we aid Christ in advancing the Kingdom of God through our sufferings and evangelisation.
 
I have a tremendous respect for Mary. To say She is a Co-Redeemer is Blasphemy. Yes, she said yes to God. There is only One Redeemer, Christ Jesus our Lord. The church is crossing the line on this one. It’s gonna loose even more members if it makes her equal to our Savior Jesus.
 
sosayi1960 said:
I have a tremendous respect for Mary. To say She is a Co-Redeemer is Blasphemy. Yes, she said yes to God. There is only One Redeemer, Christ Jesus our Lord. The church is crossing the line on this one. It’s gonna loose even more members if it makes her equal to our Savior Jesus.
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Like a previous poster said, Mary as co-redeemer does NOT put her in par with Christ. We are all called to participate in cooperating with God’s grace. She did so with perfection!👍
 
sosayi1960 said:
I have a tremendous respect for Mary. To say She is a Co-Redeemer is Blasphemy. Yes, she said yes to God. There is only One Redeemer, Christ Jesus our Lord. The church is crossing the line on this one. It’s gonna loose even more members if it makes her equal to our Savior Jesus.
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I think Levi makes a good point about the prefix co- in Latin. It’s unfortunate that, in English, that prefix has the connotation of equality or simultaneousness. To call Mary the co-redeemer is not the same as saying Jack and Dave are the co-chairs of our committee or that Sally and Martha are the co-authors of their novel.

The Church is in no way making Mary out to be equal in importance to our Savior – it is stressing the importance of her cooperation with God’s grace. Others have pointed out that this cooperation on our own part is precisely how we achieve salvation, but it could be argued that Mary’s cooperation was preeminent – none of us would have the privelege of cooperating in our own salvation were it not for her decision to do so.

Peace,
Dante
 
Gimme a break this is the biggest pile of blasphemy I’ve seen. Who cares what definition means what in whatever language… To give any credit for any sense of any salvation to any one other than our Saviour and Lord is outright blasphemy.
2 cor. 11:3
3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your **sincere and pure **devotion to Christ.
 
myfavoritmartin said:
To give any credit for any sense of any salvation to any one other than our Saviour and Lord is outright blasphemy.
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God will reward us based on our works, is that not true? (1 Cor 3:10-20) The works of course being the building of the Church. And th giving of rewards presupposes merit. So God will assign us merit for our works. If God sees them as meritorious, are you better than God?

peace
Steve
 
thenobes said:
God will reward us based on our works, is that not true? (1 Cor 3:10-20) The works of course being the building of the Church. And th giving of rewards presupposes merit. So God will assign us merit for our works. If God sees them as meritorious, are you better than God?

peace
Steve
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Show me where these rewards are attached to our salvation…
 
DanteAlighieri said:
The Church is in no way making Mary out to be equal in importance to our Savior – it is stressing the importance of her cooperation with God’s grace.
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So, all other Saints both old testament and new are also co-redeemers? Why is Mary the primary focus of prayer by RCs
Others have pointed out that this cooperation on our own part is precisely how we achieve salvation,…
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:eek:
none of us would have the privelege of cooperating in our own salvation were it not for her decision to do so.
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God plan of salvation would not have been thwarted if Mary said no.
 
What would the Church be clarifiying by declaring this? As I understand it, Marian doctrine always, at its heart, clears up some question about Christ or His Church. What would be the benefit in pursuing this line of thought?

If someone could explain what the point of this additional title would be, and how it would, like our Lady herself, point to Christ, it would help.

And, before I’m blasted, please understand that it was our Lady who led me, my husband, and all our children to Holy Mother Church. I am in no way resistant to Marian doctrine, I just don’t understand the point of this one.
 
kaycee said:
So, all other Saints both old testament and new are also co-redeemers? Why is Mary the primary focus of prayer by RCs
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Because not only did she obey God’s will – she did so perfectly. Furthermore, she was chosen for the honor of bearing the Lord made flesh into this world – an honor far above any bestowed on another human being.
:eek:
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What? You don’t agree that, to gain the gift of salvation, we must cooperate with God’s grace?
God plan of salvation would not have been thwarted if Mary said no.
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Clearly not. But if she had, and He chose someone else to bear His Son into the world, we’d be honoring her for her cooperation in God’s plan. A moot point, I think.

Peace,
Dante
 
When understood using the lens of the “magisterium” of posters in this thread, the term wouldn’t be inappropriate; however, as another poster pointed out, the colloquial use of “co” implies equality in English. So, it almost seems like by deliberately using it, we are trying to pick a fight with our Protestant friends. Don’t we honor her enough without applying honorifics that need an apologist to explain correctly?
 
“Co-redemptrix” is sound theology but horrible marketing.

Jeremy
 
I answered “yes”. However, I feel compelled to clarify my reasoning.

I answered yes because Mary participated in the redemption like no other creature participated in the redemption. Is she equal to Christ in that redemption?: No.

If you had asked me if I thought that Mary as Co-redemdrix should be declared Dogma, I would at this point in time say no.

I say no because I believe most of the Catholic faithful understand Mary’s unique role in the redemption of man. If the opinion of the faithful is getting to the point where the importance of Mary’s role in the redemption is minimized or lessened than what it actually was, then a proclamation from the chair of Peter may be warranted.
 
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