Popes Have Been Divided on the Issue
Pope Leo XIV Approves New Decree
The centuries-old internal Christian debate over whether the Virgin Mary assisted Jesus in saving the world has been concluded by a new decree from the Vatican. On November 5, Yonhap News reported, citing an announcement by the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, that guidance has been issued to 1.4 billion Catholic faithful, instructing them not to refer to the Virgin Mary as a "co-redeemer."
The Catholic Church has debated for centuries whether the Virgin Mary assisted Jesus, who saved the world. Even among successive popes, opinions have differed on this matter. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Previously, the Catholic Church had debated for centuries whether the Virgin Mary assisted Jesus in saving the world. Even among successive popes, opinions differed on this matter. Former Pope Francis strongly opposed the title "co-redeemer," stating, "If it were for herself, the Virgin Mary would not have tried to take anything from her son." Pope Benedict, who was known for his conservative views, also opposed the use of the title. In contrast, Pope John Paul II supported the title "co-redeemer." However, after the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith expressed a skeptical stance, he stopped using the term "co-redeemer" in public appearances after the mid-1990s.
The Vatican's position is that the Virgin Mary did not assist Jesus in saving the world from the curse, and only Jesus accomplished salvation. The Vatican explained, "By giving birth to Jesus, the Virgin Mary opened the door to salvation awaited by all humanity." At the same time, the Vatican emphasized the role of the Virgin Mary as a mediator between God and humanity, rather than as a "co-redeemer." This guidance is part of a new decree approved by Pope Leo XIV.
Meanwhile, on this day, Pope Leo XIV called for "deep reflection" from the Trump administration regarding immigrants at U.S. government facilities who had been denied communion at his residence on the outskirts of Rome. Communion is a sacred Catholic rite commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus, in which bread and wine-believed to be the body and blood of Christ-are shared, and it is both a blessing and a sacred duty for Catholics. The Pope has also criticized the treatment of immigrants in the United States, urging bishops and social workers from the U.S.-Mexico border region, who visited the Vatican last month, to respond to the Trump administration's immigration policies.
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