It never ceases to amaze me that in the modern world people are particularly afraid of words. People no longer seem to fear sin or folly, only misunderstandings. And as if it weren’t clear enough: there is no truth that cannot be misunderstood. Roman Catholic theology has always placed an extraordinary emphasis on Christ as the only Savior. That is precisely why I have never seen any threat in the way Mary is spoken of. Christ’s position is so absolute that it would be absurd to think that anyone could truly overshadow Him. Cooperation does not mean rivalry. If God truly became man, then He not only humbled Himself, but He also made Himself dependent on human obedience: first on Mary, later on the apostles, and ultimately on all of us. Cardinal Fernandez is seeing ghosts when he says that it is no longer advisable to use the title “Co-Redemptrix” for Mary.
So I see nothing unreasonable in the idea that Mary, in a manner totally subordinate and arising from grace, participated in the work of Christ. The term “Co-Redemptrix” is not as shocking as some fear. And frankly, if Cardinal Fernandez is afraid that people will put Mary on an equal footing with Christ, then the problem is not with Mary but with Fernandez. It is precisely Mary’s presence that reminds me that the Christian faith is not an idea, a philosophy, or a moral system, but a story. The factual reality of Mary’s cooperation in the work of our redemption does not stem from human invention but from the fact that God Himself decided to work through human mediation. Every step in the history of salvation shows that God does not act in spite of man but through man. Mary’s “fiat” is the first, and perhaps clearest, example of this supernatural cooperation.
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