Co-Redemptrix
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Co-Redemptrix (also spelled Coredemptrix; Co-Redemptress is an equivalent term) is a title used by some Catholics for the Blessed Virgin Mary, emphasizing her unique, subordinate cooperation with Jesus Christ in the redemption of humanity.
According to those who use the term, Co-Redemptrix refers to a subordinate but essential participation by the Blessed Virgin Mary in redemption, notably that she gave free consent to give life to the Redeemer, which meant sharing his life, suffering, and death, which were redemptive for the world. Related to this belief is the concept of Mary as Mediatrix, which is a separate concept but regularly included by Catholics who use the title Co-Redemptrix. Some, in particular the adherents of the Marian apparitions of The Lady of All Nations, have petitioned for a dogmatic definition, along with Mediatrix and Advocate.
The term "Co-redemptrix" has been applied to the Virgin Mary since the 15th century. Saint Bernard assigned Mary a role at the foot of the Cross that gave rise to the title "Co-redemptrix", which first appears in an anonymous fifteenth-century hymn from Salzburg: "Loving, sweet, and kind / altogether undeserving of any sorrow / if you henceforth chose to weep / as one suffering with the Redeemer / for the captive sinner / you would be co-redemptrix."
In more recent times, the title has received some support from the Catholic Magisterium though it is not included in the concluding chapter of the apostolic constitution Lumen gentium of the Second Vatican Council, which chapter many theologians hold to be a comprehensive summary of Catholic Mariology.
On 4 November 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Mater populi fidelis, a doctrinal note on Marian titles and Mary’s role in salvation. Signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and Monsignor Armando Matteo, it clarified that it is always inappropriate to use the title "Co-redemptrix" to define Mary’s cooperation, as this title risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion. The document was approved by Pope Leo XIV on 7 October 2025.
In December 2025, the Theological Commission of the International Marian Association, composed of 40 bishops and theologians, published a strongly critical response to the document Mater Populi Fidelis.