Marian theologian urges Leo XIV to proclaim Mary as Co-Redemptrix
'When Mary has been officially recognized for her God-given coredemptive & intercessory roles for the world can she then completely activate & bring to full power her motherly intercession'
(PerMariam) — A prominent Marian theologian is urging Catholics to join him in calling upon newly elected Pope Leo XIV to formally proclaim Mary as Co-Redemptrix.
The early days of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate have already given hope to advocates of Marian Co-Redemption that the Pope could make history by formally proclaiming the fifth Marian dogma.
The Church has officially denoted four Marian dogmas: that Mary is Mother of God, that she is a perpetual virgin, that of her Immaculate Conception, and her Assumption.
Mariologists have long been working and praying for the formal proclamation of a fifth such dogma – namely that Mary is Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate.
Writing on MotherofAllPeoples, leading Mariologist Dr. Mark Miravalle commented that “only when our Mother has been officially recognized for her God-given coredemptive and intercessory roles for the world can she then completely activate and bring to full power her motherly intercession for all humanity.”
Leo’s pontificate has certainly been marked by early signs of devotion to Mary, both in his public speeches, homilies and as further evidenced by his first trip outside the Vatican on May 10.
Such is the new Pope’s apparent devotion to Mary, that Miravalle has taken renewed hope that the long-awaited formal proclamation of the fifth Marian dogma might be achieved under the current pontificate.
From his “Mary Live” broadcast, Miravalle noted the launch of a public campaign to petition the pope for this very aspect. Such requests would be “petitioning him that he would be the vicar of Christ that would crown Our Lady as the spiritual mother of all peoples, including her key role in co-redemption, mediation, and advocacy.”
Leo XIV has already revealed the influence of Pope Leo XIII in his regnal name, and given the Leo XIII was himself a key proponent of Marian co-redemption, Miravalle has reason to be optimistic.
Leo XIII was renowned for his numerous encyclicals and also styled as the ‘Rosary Pope’. In Jucunda Semper (1894), the Pope refers to the rosary as being a thorough meditation upon Mary as the Co-Redemptrix throughout her life:
“In it [the rosary], all the part which the Virgin played in acquiring the salvation of men returns, as set forth and as having its effect now.”
In his brief meditation upon the Crucifixion, Leo XIII notes the proximity of Mary to the Cross and the meaning of such nearness:
“there stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother, who, in a miracle of charity, so that she might receive us as her sons, offered generously to Di- vine Justice her own Son, and died in her heart with Him, stabbed with the sword of sorrow.”
Further he continues, in remarking how she is the mediator of man’s salvation: “To thee we lift our prayers, for thou art the Mediatrix, powerful at once and pitiful, of our salvation.” In 1901, the Pope taught that, “Every time we, with the angel, greet Mary as full of grace...we remember all the most singular merits by which She has become a partaker with her Son Jesus in the Redemption of humanity.”
So far, the formal proclamation of Mary as Co-Redemptrix has not been achieved, despite the great wealth of teaching the Church has on the matter over many centuries, as espoused by great popes and saints.
In an age which needs the intercession of Mary even more than ever before, Miravalle’s campaign for Leo XIV to recognize Mary’s role in the Redemption is timely and vital.
For usefully-sized explanation of Marian Co-Redemption, and replies to common objections against it, readers may find my book useful.
Below is found Dr. Miravalle’s full letter
Dear Friends in Jesus and Mary:
It is with such great joy that we welcome our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV! In the first days of his papacy, Pope Leo has already manifested his deep and generous love of our Lady.
Among his first words as Pope on May 8 (also the feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces for various orders), Leo XIV stated:
“Today is the day of the Prayer of Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Mother Mary always wants to walk at our side, to remain close to us, to help us with her intercession and her love. So, I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world, and let us ask Mary, our Mother, for this special grace.”
He then led all in the praying of the “Hail Mary.”
The following day, May 9, during his first Mass as Roman pontiff before the college of cardinals, Pope Leo spoke of the martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch as a model for true authority in service, of making oneself small for Christ. He then ended his homily with “May God grant me this grace, today and always, through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church."
On Saturday, May 10, Pope Leo privately visited two Marian shrines, Our Lady of Good Counsel Shrine in Genazzano (30 miles outside of Rome) and St. Mary Major’s Basilica. During his first visit, Pope Leo wrote in the Our Lady of Good Counsel guestbook:
“Still in the first days of the pontificate, I felt the duty and a deep longing to approach Genazzano, the shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel, who, throughout my life, has accompanied me with her maternal presence, with her wisdom, and the example of her love for her son who is always the center of my faith, the Way, truth and life. Thank you, Mother, for your help - accompany me in this new mission.”
To the cheering of the crowds, “Viva il Papa” (long live the Pope) during his exit, Pope Leo responded, “Viva Maria!”
During his first Regina Caeli (“Queen of Heaven”) address on Sunday, May 11, Pope Leo himself led the singing of the “Regina Caeli” When referring to wars in Ukraine, Gaza, India and Pakistan, the Holy Father stated, “I entrust this heartfelt appeal to the Queen of Peace, so that she may present it to the Lord Jesus to obtain for us the miracle of peace.” Pope Leo then ended his message with: “May the Virgin Mary, whose entire life was a response to the Lord’s call, always accompany us in following Jesus.”
This truly extraordinary testimony by Pope Leo XIV to the truth of Mary as the world’s Spiritual Mother gives great encouragement for a potential solemn papal definition or “dogma” of Mary as the Spiritual Mother of humanity.
Over 100 years ago in 1915, the great Belgian Cardinal Desire Mercier began an international Catholic movement of prayer and petition to the Holy Father for a solemn papal definition of Mary as Spiritual Mother of humanity, inclusive of her subordinate human and maternal role with Jesus in the Redemption, and her subsequent role as the Mediatrix of all graces of Redemption. In the first years of this movement, hundreds of bishops, thousands of priests and religious, and hundreds of thousands of the faithful sent petitions to the popes for this great dogmatic crowning for Our Lady. Since 1993, an additional 700 cardinals and bishops have petitioned recent popes for this fifth Marian Dogma, joined by approximately 8 million petitions from 185 countries, as a true manifestation of the sensus fidelium (common consensus of the faithful).
The great Marian teachings of Pope Leo XIII, with whom our new Holy Father, Leo XIV has so strongly associated himself, provides the Mariological foundation for a potential fifth Marian dogma. For example, Leo XIII was the first pope to approve prayers which refer to Mary as “Co-redemptrix of the world” (“Corredentrice del Mondo”, July 18, 1885, ASS, v. 18, p. 92-93). Leo XIII further taught that Mary “who had been the cooperatrix in the sacrament of man’s Redemption, would likewise be the cooperatrix in the dispensation of the graces deriving from it” (Encyclical, Adjutricem populi, 1895, ASS v. 28, p. 130).
Moreover, Leo XIII repeatedly and firmly taught that Our Lady is the Mediatrix of all graces, referring to her as “treasurer of our peace with God and dispenser of all heavenly graces” (Encyclical, Superiore Anno, 1884); and emphatically declared: “It is right to say that nothing at all of the immense treasury of every grace which the Lord accumulated…nothing is imparted to us except through Mary…Mary is our glorious intermediary, she is the powerful Mother of the omnipotent God” (Encyclical, Octobri mense, 1891).
Pope Leo XIV rightly prayed for a “miracle of peace” for Ukraine, Gaza, India, Pakistan, and so many other areas of conflict; and has also referred to a World War III by piecemeal which is already beginning globally. We believe that this miracle of peace will come only through the solemn papal recognition of Our Lady’s intercession as the world’s Spiritual Mother.
Only when our Mother has been officially recognized for her God-given coredemptive and intercessory roles for the world can she then completely activate and bring to full power her motherly intercession for all humanity.
We, therefore, invite you to join us in prayer and petition to Pope Leo XIV for the papal definition of Mary as the Spiritual Mother of the world. Please write a brief, heartfelt petition from your Marian heart to the Marian heart of Leo XIV, requesting his prayerful consideration of declaring the fifth Marian dogma of Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood. You can send your petition to the Holy Father at this address:
His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV
00120 Vatican City State
Please consider forwarding this invitation to other Catholic and Marian apostolates, prayer groups, etc., who likewise understand the present Signs of the Times and the critical need to officially recognize Our Lady as the God-given remedy for our troubled times. We believe this fifth Marian dogma to be the key to the Triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart, thus unlocking and bringing peace, true peace to the world.
Dr. Mark Miravalle
St. John Paul II Chair of Mariology, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, USA
Constance Shifflin-Blum Chair of Mariology, Ave Maria University, Florida, USA
International President, Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici (Voice of the People for Mary Mediatrix)
The day the pope proclaim that Mary is Co redemptrix is the day I leave the Catholic church. How can people even write that a creature, however perfect, has an equal role to God himself?
Not sure why that would be necessary. A little too heady for me and, I’d say, most people as well.