Mary as Co-Redeemer?!?
I was surfing the other day and came accross some very disturbing web sites supossedly honouring Our Lady. At one point during my wanderings I happened to come accross a web site dedicated to Mary as Co-redeemer.
I must admit that my first reaction to Mary as Co-redeemer was anything but charitable or grace filled. Setting aside the semantics, ie: C0- as in equal to (Co-defendant) or Co- as in assisting (co-operater). The term is misleading, it leads to confusion and in the end scandal for the faithful.
On that point alone I would think that the Church would seriously examin and supress this (I hate to give it a name for the simple reason that I could be seen as legitimizing this faulty theology) movement.
It was not Our Lady's sacrifice that redeemed mankind, She although pure and without sin was still and always will be a created creature, Subserviant in every way to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Please, please tell me that this "idea" that seems to come out of the irrational Traditionalist movement and is not central to our Catholic Faith. I mean using their argument it can be argued that Judas was also a Co-redeemer, since his actions led directly to the Crusifiction of Jesus our Lord and in so doing
I do need your thoughts, because for some reason, I find this troubling to my faith in a very, very big way. May our Lord bless and keep you always close to his Sacred Heart. In all things my you live in the Peace of His Spirit.
Tom
QUESTION from Tom on October 30, 2003
led to the Salvation of Humanity, No, No, No!
ANSWER by Staff on November 4, 2003
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Dear Tom: This is one of those problems of language that do not translate well in English. "Co" in co-redeemer, co-Mediatrix, etc. is Collaborator Mary "assisted" in our redemption and she assist in our mediation with Christ. This context does not give Mary equal status with Christ, or usurp Christ in anyway. She, rather, merely cooperated and collaborated with Christ. In a sense we, too, are co-mediators every time we pray for someone. We are offering intercession/mediation for our friend when we pray for them. This does not make us God or equal with God, it only means that we are cooperating with the economy of God when he asked us to be a family and pray for each other. In terms of Mary as co-redeemer, she did in fact, cooperate in the redemption. When she made her fiat to accept God's will for her to bear the Christ Child she was cooperating in the redemption of mankind for it was through her that the Redeemer came into the world. The solution to problems like this is not suppression but education. "co" just simple does NOT mean "equal to". As for Judas, no he was NOT co-redeemer. Jesus could have been crucified without Judas' help. Jesus could have been arrested at any time whenever he was in public. In fact, Jesus mentions this in the Garden when he was arrested. Judas happened to be the instrument of Jesus' arrest, but was not necessary for Jesus' arrest. This is different than with Mary... Mary's role was not incidental but REQUIRED. Jesus, to be incarnated, HAD to be born of a woman, otherwise he would not be human and thus could not be the redeemer. Mary's collaboration was required; Judas' participation was not, but was incidental. At this time the theory of co-redeemer is not Church dogma, and is not binding for belief by the faithful. But the concept should not wrinkle our shirts if we understand the nature of her role in the incarnation and the true meaning of "co".
God Bless, |