In the Catholic tradition, the “Age of Mary” refers to the years 1830-1950 when there have been almost 400 apparitions of Mary in almost every continent. Decades after this period, devotees still manage to sustain and even enrich Christian devotion to Mary, with the influx of worldwide Marian movements, establishing the significance of the Blessed Virgin in the Catholic faith.
But just as this devotion continues to prosper, there has yet to be a binding doctrine on Mary’s role in the salvation plan with Jesus and as Mother of all people. Genuine love for Mary, after all, must rest on authentic truth about Mary in light of Christian teachings and scripture.
At present, the Church recognizes only four Marian doctrines regarded as central Catholic truths or dogmas: Mary as Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception, the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, and the Assumption to heaven.
Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici (Voice of the People for Mary Mediatrix), an international lay organization working for the papal definition of the doctrine of Mary Our Lady as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate, believes that it is high time for the Church to proclaim the fifth Marian doctrine as dogma.
The organization claims that “the body of Marian dogma will remain incomplete until the Church presents a dogma directly defining the nature of Mary’s role with the Redeemer in the work of our salvation, and her relationship to us as Mother of all Christians.”
Further, the group says since these roles are already included in the official and authoritative teachings of the Church, Mary’s mediation as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate needs to be recognized as a dogma to ensure its doctrinal precision and authenticity.
Mary’s roles
The attributes of Mary concerning her earthly life, as capsulated in the four existing dogmas, already reached “perfections of doctrine” through solemn dogmatic definitions. This perfection means that there is already a completion of proofs and clarifications regarding the contents of the doctrine.
If the “Church gives Mary the title “Co-redemptrix”, it will formally recognize her unique participation in the redemption of human family with Jesus and God. Scriptures has it that Mary in the Annunciation humbly obeyed the will of God to bear in her womb the second person of the Trinity, giving Jesus his human body, a prerequisite stage of the work of redemption.
Another manifestation of the co-redemption happened during the crucifixion of Christ when Mary’s intense sufferings united with those of her Son. Because of this intimate sharing in the redemption, Mary is uniquely referred to by the late Pope John Paul II and the Church as the “Co-redemptrix”.
But the title is not intended to elevate Mary to a level of equality with Christ. Rather the title only recognizes the distinctive but subordinate role of Mary in the work of salvation with Jesus. Taken from the Latin word “cum”, the prefix “co” in the title Co-redemptrix means “with”.
However, College of Nursing acting Regent Fr. Fausto Gomez, O.P. believes that the Church has long been recognizing the nature of Mary’s secondary role in the redemption.
“The Second Vatican Council didn’t hesitate in clearly professing the subordinate role of Mary,” he told the Varsitarian.
“We belong to a Church where the head is Christ and the body is composed of the members. Mary, as a member of the body, share more of Christ compared to others because she is the mother of the incarnate word,” Gomez said.
A second role the Church associates with Mary is her being “Mediatrix of all grace,” meaning all the grace, that flows from the redemption of Jesus Christ, are granted to the human family through her motherly intercession. She mediated Christ, the author of all grace, to the world when she agreed to be his human mother.
“Mary is the Mother of God, but she is also our Mother who helps us receive and increase the capital grace that comes from Christ,” Gomez said.
As advocate of the people to God, Mary also conveys the petitions of her earthly children, especially in times of difficulties, and brings them to Jesus.
Waiting for grace
Marian devotees claim that the definition of this final dogma will work for ecumenical unity because it will recognize Mary as Mother of all people and a symbol of unity in the Christian family. They also believe this dogma will be necessarily accompanied by an outpouring of God’s grace.
The late Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote: “The papal definition of Mary as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate will bring great graces to the Church.”
At the moment, Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici continuously gathers petitions from the faithful throughout the world in support of this final dogma.
Aside from gathering 2.5 million petitions from more than 132 countries worldwide, the organization has also received the endorsements of 36 cardinals and over 130 bishops worldwide from the Universal Church.
According to Vox Populi founder Dr. Mark Miravalle, the Philippines is one of the countries who supported and gathered the largest number of petitions for the dogma. Former President Corazon Aquino even petitioned the Holy See for the dogmatic proclamation while in office.
Two previous popes who defined Marian dogma, Pope Pius IX and Pius XII, both referred to the international petitions of the faithful as one of the criteria that led to the final acts to papally define the Marian dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Kathleen T. Valle and Mary Rose M. Pabelonia with reports from www.voxpopuli.com
