The Vatican released a controversial statement regarding salvation and how it applies to the unique roles of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
In a report by Reuters, the Vatican has given specific instructions to Catholics everywhere to stop giving Mary the credit as “co-redeemer” of the world. According to the outlet, the statement read, “It would not be appropriate to use the title ‘co-redemptrix’…This title…create[s] confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith.”
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While scholars and those particularly of the Catholic faith have debated about giving Mary this accolade for years, the Vatican is making it clear that she does not hold this position. Reuters noted that the Vatican sees Mary as “an intermediary between God and humanity.” In the statement from the Vatican, Mary is considered as the one who “opened the gates of the Redemption that all humanity had awaited” by giving birth to the Son of God.
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo reportedly shared that using the term “Co-redemptrix” ultimately “…risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation…When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
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At the end of the day, Scripture is clear that there is only one way to heaven: Through Jesus Christ alone. John 14:6 tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father through any other way. While Mary undoubtedly had a special and unique calling upon her life to be the mother of Jesus, she was just like us in need of a Savior. It is only through the atoning work of Christ on the cross that any of us can be saved.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
I long ago came to understand and teach that the reason that Jesus, on the Cross, said to Mary, His mother, to behold John as her son and to John to behold Mary as his mother was because He was letting Mary know that, from that point on, she, along with the rest of the world, was not to look upon Him as her son but rather as her Savior. That had to be the reason because Mary had numerous other children of her own to care for her, who might not have been standing at the Cross with her as John was.