Mediatrix

Mediatrix is a title given to Mary, mother of Jesus used by some Christians. It refers to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mediator by intercession in the salvific redemption by her son Jesus Christ, the one proper Mediator by action. Mediatrix is an ancient title that has been used by many saints since at least the 5th century. Its use grew during the Middle Ages and reached its height in the writings of Louis de Montfort and Alphonsus Liguori in the 18th century.

A general role of intercession is attributed to Mary in Catholicism, Evangelical Lutheranism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy, and the term "Mediatrix" was applied to her in the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium of the Second Vatican Council. "This, however, is to be so understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the One Mediator."

The use of the title Mediatrix and the doctrine of Mary having a highest level of saintly intercession (called hyperdulia; owing to her special relationship with her son Jesus) is distinct from the theological issues involved in the establishment of Mediatrix of all graces as a dogma.

Further to the intercessory mediation is the claim that God bestows graces through her as the mechanism of the incarnation. A stronger version of this, which has not been officially defined by the church, is that all graces (ultimately or actually) flow through Mary's intercession.

In a 2025 doctrinal note titled Mater Populi Fidelis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church emphasized that "the biblical statement about Christ’s exclusive mediation is conclusive," with Christ being the only Mediator. As far as the word "mediation" was concerned, the Dicastery acknowledged that "[it] is commonly used in many areas of everyday life, where it is understood simply as cooperation, assistance, or intercession." Therefore, the document concluded that it is "inevitable that the term would be applied to Mary in a subordinate sense. Used in this way, it does not intend to add any efficacy or power to the unique mediation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man."