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DEVELOPMENT OF ROMAN DOCTRINES ON MARY
MARY -COREDEMPTRIX
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"Let all
the
children
of the
Catholic
Church
...
Proceed
to
worship,
invoke,
and pray
to
the most
blessed
Virgin
Mary,
mother
of God,
conceived
without
original
sin"
Conception
of the
Virgin
Mary,
Pope
Pius IX
1854 |
"Although
Christ
is
the
Sole
Mediator
between
God
and
man
(1
Tim.
2,
5),
since
He
alone,
by
His
death
on
the
Cross,
fully
reconciled
mankind
with
God,
this
does
not
exclude
a
secondary
mediatorship,
subordinated
to
Christ
...
[Dr.
Ludwig
Ott,
Fundamentals
of
Catholic
Dogma].
The
title
Coredemptrix=Coredemptress
...
must
not
be
conceived
in
the
sense
of
an
equation
of
the
efficacy
of
Mary
with
the
redemptive
activity
of
Christ,
the
sole
Redeemer
of
humanity
(1
Tim.
2,
5).
[...]
Her
co-operation
in
the
objective
redemption
is
an
indirect,
remote
co-operation,
and
derives
from
this
that
she
voluntarily
devoted
her
whole
life
to
the
service
of
the
Redeemer,
and,
under
the
Cross,
suffered
and
sacrificed
with
Him.
As
Pope
Pius
XII
says
...,
she
"offered
Him
on
Golgotha
to
the
Eternal
Father
together
with
the
holocaust
of
her
maternal
rights
and
her
motherly
love
like
a
new
Eve
for
all
children
of
Adam"
(D
2291).
As
"The
New
Eve"
she
is,
as
the
same
Pope
declares
...,
"the
sublime
associate
of
our
redeemer"
...
.
Christ
alone
truly
offered
the
sacrifice
of
atonement
on
the
Cross;
Mary
merely
gave
Him
moral
support
in
this
action.
Thus
Mary
is
not
entitled
to
the
title
"Priest"
(sacerdos).
[...]
Christ,
as
the
Church
teaches,
"conquered
the
enemy
of
the
human
race
alone
(solus)"
(D
711);
in
the
same
way,
He
alone
acquired
the
grace
of
Redemption
for
the
whole
human
race,
including
Mary.
The
words
of
Luke
1:38[,]
"Behold
the
handmaid
of
the
Lord,"
imply
Mary's
mediate,
remote
co-operation
in
the
Redemption.
St.
Ambrose
expressly
teaches:
"Christ's
Passion
did
not
require
any
support"
(De
inst.
virg.
7) "
INEFFABILIS
DEUS,
the
Apostolic
Constitution
Defining
the
Dogma
of
the
Immaculate
Conception,
by
Pope
Pius
IX
on
the
8th
day
of
December,
1854.
"The
Fathers
and
writers
of
the
Church,
well
versed
in
the
heavenly
Scriptures,
had
nothing
more
at
heart
that
to
vie
with
one
another
in
preaching
and
teaching
in
may
wonderful
way
the
Virgin's
supreme
sanctity,
dignity,
and
immunity
from
all
stain
of
sin,
and
her
renowned
victory
over
the
most
foul
enemy
of
the
human
race.
This
the
did
in
the
books
they
wrote
to
explain
the
Scriptures,
to
vindicate
the
dogmas,
and
to
instruct
the
faithful.
These
ecclesiastical
writers
in
quoting
the
words
by
which
at
the
beginning
of
the
world
God
announced
the
merciful
remedies
prepared
for
the
regeneration
of
mankind--words
by
which
he
crushed
the
audacity
of
the
deceitful
serpent
and
wonderously
raised
up
the
hope
of
our
race,
saying,
"I
will
put
enmities
between
you
and
the
woman,
between
your
seed
and
her
seed"
(Gen
3:15)-
taught
that
by
this
divine
prophecy
the
merciful
Redeemer
of
mankind,
Jesus
Christ,
the
only
begotton
Son
of
God,
was
clearly
foretold:
that
his
most
Blessed
Mother,
the
Virgin
Mary,
was
prophetically
indicated;
and,
at
the
same
time,
the
very
enmity
of
both
against
the
evil
one
was
significantly
expressed.
Hence
just
as
Christ,
the
Mediator
between
God
and
man,
assumed
human
nature,
blotted
the
hand
writing
of
the
decree
that
stood
against
us,
and
fastened
it
triumpantly
to
the
cross,
so
the
most
holy
Virgin,
united
with
him
by a
most
intimate
and
indissoluble
bond,
was,
with
him
and
through
him,
eternally
at
enmity
with
evil
serpent,
and
most
completely
triumphed
over
him,
and
thus
crushed
his
head
with
her
immaculate
foot.
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The arguement for
Co-Redemptrix is
simple and straight
forward. Jesus is
the Redeemer. Not
even the Roman
Catholic Church has
any doubt about it.
But there is one
other who cooperated
with God to bring
this redemption
about. This is Mary.
Therefore Mary is
the Co-redeemer.
The argument is very
sound. But the
question is, Is Mary
the only one who
cooperated with God
to bring this about?
Are there not
others? As a first
step what about
Joseph. Did he not
consent to be the
Father of Jesus? Did
he not take all the
pain and humiliation
of taking care of an
illegitimate child
whom practically
every neighbor knew
was not his? Still
he took the child
and the mother to
safety from King
Herod. Then he in
his humbleness
disappeared from the
story without claims
of sinlessness or
glorification. If we
apply the arguments
to Joseph, the same
arguments we applied
to Mary, he will
stand all the test.
What about the
Apostles? Did they
not go through hell
and lay down their
lives for the sake
of Christ. Are they
not the real
redeemers of the
world. Twelve Jews
without whose
cooperation Jesus'
salvation history
would have no
effect.
Extend this further.
What about every
believer who extends
the good news of
Jesus Christ so that
the salvation may
reach to the ends of
the earth and to
their neighbors and
to their families.
They also foot the
bill.
There is one other
person whom I want
to talk about. You
may not like it. But
it is true. What
about Judas
Iscariot? If anyone
cooperated with God
in bringing about
the salvation of
mankind a reality,
it was not Mary, who
delivered a child
Jesus, but it was
Judas. Without the
wilful consent of
Judas there would
have been no cross,
no sacrifice, and no
salvation. Which is
most important to
salvation? Birth of
Jesus or the death
and resurrection of
Jesus? Certainly
Death and
Resurrection. Who
wilfully cooperated
to bring this about?
Since Judas was a
disciple of Jesus,
he was with Jesus
thorugh out his
ministry. He knew
Jesus better than
anyone else. He was
the treasurer. He
was given the Holy
Spirit and he also
went out and
preached, taught and
healed. He had the
authority over
demons. Finally
notice the place
that Jesus gave to
Judas at the last
supper. He was the
first to receive the
bread dipped in the
sop. He was the
chief guest sitting
on the left hand
side of Jesus in
accordance with the
Jewish custom. If
that seat tells us
anything, it means
that Jesus
considered him to be
the most important
person among all his
disciples. Do you
think Jesus would
let him be the chief
guest of this most
important Passover
supper? What did
Jesus say to Judas.
"What you are about
to do, do it
quickly" He was
ordered to do
something. It was
not to his liking is
certain from his
behaviour later. He
had a decision to
make. A choice on
which hang the
salvation of mankind
against his own
consciouness of
betraying righteous
blood. Suppose he
refused? That would
have thwarted all
God's plans. So he
decided to
cooperate. God knew
he could not have
done it. So Satan
entered in him at
that time. Satan was
planned by God to
complete the
salvation plan. He
paid the price. What
a sacrifice!. If
anyone deserve the
right to be a
coredeemer who would
stand a better
choice than Judas
Iscariot?
As anyone can see,
the arguments that
are proposed by the
Roman Church is not
unique to Mary in
any way. It fits
even better to Judas
Iscariot!!
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