Mater Populi fidelis: Nota dottrinale su alcuni titoli mariani riferiti alla cooperazione di Maria all’opera della salvezza

by Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dicastero per la Dottrina della Fede

The present Note responds to numerous requests and proposals that have reached the Holy See in recent decades, and particularly this Dicastery, regarding questions pertaining to Marian devotion and certain Marian titles. These are questions that have concerned recent Popes and have been repeatedly addressed in the last thirty years in various areas of study within the Dicastery, such as Congresses and Ordinary Assemblies. This has enabled the Dicastery to compile an abundant and rich body of material that nourishes the present reflection.

Genres: Spirituality, Theology

ebook

Published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Sebat Hadah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This document is a slap on the face of our Lady!

Holy Mary, Co-redemtrix and Mediatrix of All Graces, pray for us.

[booklady]

This is a heavily referenced document about our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God, her roles with respect to Christ and His Church and where she fits into His plan for our salvation. No doubt it is all technically correct, but non-scholar that I am, I must trust that the author, Cardinal Victor Manual Fernandez would not deliberately lie nor mislead. Therefore, Peter has spoken, meaning, that when an official document like this comes out, it is as if the Apostle Peter said it and whole Church should take it as such.

Throughout history, there has been an on-going discussion about the various principles of the church.

'To explain the structure of the Church, Hans Urs von Balthasar speaks of several principles. The best known is the "Petrine principle", which refers to its hierarchical structure with the apostolic role of Peter, the Apostles and their successors. Another is the Pauline principle which represents its missionary dimension and so on.

All the principles of the Church, however, are oriented towards the primary one which is the "Marian principle". It refers to the very reason why the Church exists: To correspond with love to God's infinite love. It is called "Marian" because Mary, with her total FIAT, is the prototype of such love response. To be "the prototype" means that Mary is the first finished model of what all Christians should become. Von Balthasar writes: "Before men were placed into office, the whole Church was present in Mary". Just as Mary lived intimately united to the Trinity, we too are called to respond to the action of the Holy Spirit so that Christ reigns in us and directs us to live in faithful love and obedience to the Father.

This Marian total surrender of love to God is the essence of holiness.' The Marian dimension of the Church precedes the Petrine, by Fr. Jordi Rivero

For some reason it has sometimes seemed in the history of the Church as if the Petrine principle has sought to quash or sideline the Marian principle. Our Lady, however, being a true lady, will always respect and abide by whatever Peter says, as will all her faithful children.

There is One Who loves Our Lady more than any of us begin to. It is because of His love for her that we never have to worry about loving Mary too much, because we can never begin to love Marry as much as Jesus does. We couldn't no matter how hard we tried, but the harder we try, the more we please Jesus, because she is His well-beloved Mother.

So, let us leave titles and roles to those Greater Minds who must debate such things. As for us Little Souls, like St. Therese, we will try to love our Lady and her Son as much as we can. We will ask her to help us love Him and for His help to love her.

I am not going to rate this because I am not sure I understand it well enough. I will just say I read it. I will continue to listen to wiser heads than mine try to explain it to me. Maybe.

[Clary ♱]

Mediatrix omnium gratiarum, ora pro nobis.

[María Antón Sancho · Rating 5 out of 5]

CINCA
me genera muchas dudas que me gustaría que me explicara un mariólogo. Me falta contexto, aunque se explica en las abundantes citas… pero alguien que puedas explicarlo.

Me parece muy interesante, y muy necesario entenderla, forma parte de la doctrina de la fe.

[Marie ☩ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kyrie eleison... Christe eleison...

Holy Virgin Mary, Our Lady Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of ALL graces, pray for us!