International Marian Association theologians slam Vatican note Mater Populi Fidelis as “anti-development of doctrine,” urge Pope Leo XIV to revise titles Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix.
Newsroom (08/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, the Theological Commission of the International Marian Association (IMATC) — a body that includes cardinals, bishops, and more than forty respected Mariologists such as Scott Hahn, Mark Miravalle, and Michael Sirilla — released a detailed 23-page critique of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s November 4 doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”).
The commission described significant portions of the DDF text as erroneous, “unfortunate,” and in need of “substantial clarification and modification,” warning that its treatment of traditional Marian titles risks resembling “more a Protestant theology of Redemption than that of the Catholic Church.”
While acknowledging positive elements — including the note’s strong affirmation of Christ as sole divine Redeemer and its recognition of Mary’s “singular and distinct cooperation” — the IMATC theologians exercised what they termed their canonical right to voice concern, arguing that Mater Populi Fidelis represents an “anti-development of doctrine on two historically rooted titles: Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces.
The November 4 document, signed by DDF prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and approved by Pope Leo XIV, reaffirmed approved titles such as Mother of God and Mother of the Church but judged Co-redemptrix and certain uses of Mediatrix of all graces to be pastorally and theologically ambiguous. It discouraged their inclusion in official magisterial documents and liturgical texts, though it did not deny the underlying theological truths.
The IMATC response directly challenged the assertion that Co-redemptrix is “always inappropriate” (or, in some translations, “always inopportune”) for defining Mary’s cooperation in redemption. “If it is always inappropriate to use the title,” the theologians wrote, “then the popes who approved or used the title were acting in an inappropriate and imprudent manner,” adding that saints and mystics who employed it would similarly acted irresponsibly.
Although Cardinal Fernández later clarified to journalist Diane Montagna on November 25 that the prohibition applies only to future official magisterial documents — leaving the title permissible in private devotion, prayer groups, and theological discussion — the IMATC maintained that the original note contains a “substantial omission” of Mary’s active cooperation in objective redemption and an “unnecessary prohibition” of the title in Holy See documents and liturgy.
Citing the 2010 New Catholic Encyclopedia, the commission noted that Co-redemptrix emerged toward the end of the fourteenth century and that “Catholics no longer question its legitimacy,” having been used by the Holy See throughout the twentieth century. The title, they stressed, was deliberately chosen over “Redemptrix” to underscore Mary’s complete subordination to Christ, the sole Redeemer.
The theologians further disputed the DDF’s claim that repeated explanations of the title render it “unhelpful,” pointing out that core Catholic doctrines — including Mother of God, the Trinity, transubstantiation, and papal infallibility — likewise require perennial clarification.
On Mediatrix of all graces, the IMATC accused the note of reducing Mary’s maternal mediation to mere intercession while omitting centuries of papal teaching. The response listed statements from twelve popes — including Pope Francis — across four centuries — that affirm Mary’s universal mediation, and recalled three pontifical commissions under Pius XI that produced 2,000 pages supporting a possible dogmatic definition.
The commission expressed alarm that the document’s minimalist approach throws longstanding devotional practices into “unnecessary confusion and doubt,” specifically naming the Miraculous Medal, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular, religious communities that include Co-redemptrix in their title, and the Legion of Mary, whose handbook contains ten references to Mary as Mediatrix of all graces.
In their conclusion, the Mariologists insisted that the doctrines underlying both titles “constitute the perpetual doctrine of the Church,” traceable from Scripture and the patristic New Eve typology through modern papal magisterium. To propose a redemption based on “Jesus alone” without recognizing Mary’s God-willed human redemptive cooperation, they argued, “seems to resemble more a Protestant theology of Redemption than that of the Catholic Church.”
Calling for “true synodal dialogue,” the IMATC expressed hope that their critique will prompt a re-evaluation of Mater Populi Fidelis and lead to a future magisterial statement on Mary as Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces “in greater consistency, development, and harmony” with the teachings of previous popes.
One week before the IMATC response, a separate group of Mariologists had already issued a filial appeal to Pope Leo XIV, voicing “dismay and consternation” among the faithful and asking him to restore “the honor, truth, and special veneration owed to the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
The International Marian Association, which comprises theologians, bishops, clergy, religious, and lay leaders dedicated to promoting full Marian truth and devotion worldwide, has made its complete 23-page document publicly available.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from NCR
Related Images:
