Contending For The Faith---Part 49

 

In St. Jude 1:3, we read, "Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." [Emphasis mine]. Contending For The Faith is a series of posts dedicated to apologetics (i.e.,  the intellectual defense of the truth of the Traditional Catholic Faith) to be published the first Monday of each month.  This is the next installment.

Sadly, in this time of Great Apostasy, the faith is under attack like never before, and many Traditionalists don't know their faith well enough to defend it. Remember the words of our first pope, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (1Peter 3:16). There are five (5) categories of attacks that will be dealt with in these posts. Attacks against:

• The existence and attributes of God
• The truth of the One True Church established by Christ for the salvation of all 
• The truth of a particular dogma or doctrine of the Church
• The truth of Catholic moral teaching
• The truth of the sedevacantist position as the only Catholic solution to what has happened since Vatican II 

In addition, controversial topics touching on the Faith will sometimes be featured, so that the problem and possible solutions may be better understood. If anyone had suggestions for topics that would fall into any of these categories, you may post them in the comments. I cannot guarantee a post on each one, but each will be carefully considered.

The Titles of the Blessed Mother

Christ's Mother is constantly under attack in the godless world and in the Counterfeit Catholicism of the Vatican II sect. On the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, Robert Prevost ("Pope" Leo XIV), signed the document Mater Populi Fidelis ("The Mother of the Faithful People of God"). It was a direct attack on the Mother of God's titles as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Grace. The lies of the Vatican II sect and the truth about the Blessed Mother's titles shall be the subject of this post. 

The Lies of the Vatican II Sect

Mater Populi Fidelis (MPF) has this to say about Mary's title as Co-Redemptrix:

The Second Vatican Council refrained from using the title for dogmatic, pastoral, and ecumenical reasons. Saint John Paul II referred to Mary as “Co-redemptrix” on at least seven occasions, particularly relating this title to the salvific value of our sufferings when they are offered together with the sufferings of Christ, to whom Mary is united especially at the Cross. (See para. #18; Emphasis mine).

On at least three occasions, Pope Francis expressed his clear opposition to using the title “Co-redemptrix,” arguing that Mary “never wished to appropriate anything of her Son for herself. She never presented herself as a co-Savior. No, a disciple.” Christ’s redemptive work was perfect and needs no addition; therefore, “Our Lady did not want to take away any title from Jesus… She did not ask for herself to be a quasi-redeemer or a co-redeemer: no. There is only one Redeemer, and this title cannot be duplicated.” Christ “is the only Redeemer; there are no co-redeemers with Christ.” For “the sacrifice of the Cross, offered in a spirit of love and obedience, presents the most abundant and infinite satisfaction.” While we are able to extend its effects in the world (cf. Col 1:24), neither the Church nor Mary can replace or perfect the redemptive work of the incarnate Son of God, which was perfect and needs no additions. (See para. #21). 

Given the necessity of explaining Mary’s subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it is always inappropriate to use the title “Co-redemptrix” to define Mary’s cooperation. (See para. #22). 

MFP has this to say about the venerable title "Mediatrix of All Grace:"

In 1921, Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Mechelen — with the scholarly collaboration of the Catholic University of Louvain and the support of the bishops, clergy, and laity of Belgium — petitioned Pope Benedict XV to issue a dogmatic definition of Mary’s universal mediation. However, the Holy Father did not grant this request; he only approved a feast with its own Mass and the Office of Mary Mediatrix. From then until 1950, theological research on this question continued to develop up to the preparatory phase of the Second Vatican Council. The Council did not enter into dogmatic declarations but preferred to present an extensive synthesis “of Catholic doctrine on the place to attribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of Christ and the Church.” (See para. #23).

The Second Vatican Council’s terminology regarding mediation primarily refers to Christ; it sometimes also refers to Mary, but in a clearly subordinate manner. In fact, the Council preferred to use a different terminology for her: one centered on cooperLumen Gentiumation or maternal assistance. (See para. #27). 

The Elephant in the Room: Ecumenism

The "Dicastery for the Doctrine [Destruction] of the Faith" put out this document (and signed by Prevost) for one reason only: to denigrate the Mother of God in the name of ecumenism. The sect is founded on the false ecclesiology that the Church of Christ is distinct from the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of Christ resides there in its fullness because the Catholic Church has all the "elements" of the Church of Christ, however it can reside in other sects (more or less) according to how many "elements" they possess. To have all the elements is best, but to have only some is just as good and leads to salvation. (See Lumen Gentium, para. #8: This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Savior, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd, and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority, which He erected for all ages as "the pillar and mainstay of the truth." This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure.).

From a Protestant commenting on MPF:

While I am not Roman Catholic, in recent years I have held a growing conviction that Roman Catholicism is a great gift to the body of Christ. Wesleyans and Catholics share a theological confluence on sanctification that deserves more attention at popular and congregational levels than it receives. The Second Vatican Council's statement on sanctification in Lumen Gentium stands as one of modern theology's most profound and pastoral reflections on holiness. Surprisingly, Rome's new clarification on Mary offers Wesleyans an unexpected entry point for continuing conversation on holiness. This essay argues that while significant dogmatic differences remain, Mater Populi Fidelis articulates a Mariology that resonates with core Wesleyan theological commitments, particularly Wesley's understanding of cooperation with grace and the social nature of sanctification. (See https://firebrandmag.com/articles/mother-of-the-faithful-a-wesleyan-reading-of-mater-populi-fidelis).

Protestantism hasn't changed. If MPF "resonates with core Wesleyan [Methodist] theological commitments" especially cooperation with grace and the social nature of sanctification, than the Vatican II sect's document is heretical (no surprise there). 

Weighty Theological Arguments for "Co-Redemptrix"

While the title had theological opposition pre-Vatican II, MPF simply glosses over the compelling reasons advanced in favor of the title Co-Redemptrix:

(a) Redemption designates the sum total of meritorious and satisfactory acts performed by Christ while on Earth, offered to the Eternal Father in and through the Sacrifice of the Cross, in virtue of which the Eternal Father was moved (humanly speaking) to reinstate the human race into His former friendship. When we say Mary is Co-Redemptrix of humanity, we mean that together with Christ (although subordinately to Him and and in virtue of His power) She atoned or satisfied for our sins, merited every grace necessary for salvation, and offered Her Divine Son on Calvary to appease the wrath of God, and that as a result of this, God was pleased to cancel our debt and receive us into His former friendship. This co-redemptive role of Mary actually began when She accepted to become the Mother of God by her own free will. 

(b) Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic Letter Inter Sodalicia (March 22, 1918), wrote, "To such extent did she (Mary) suffer and almost die with her suffering and dying Son, and to such extent did she surrender her maternal rights over her Son for man's salvation, and immolated Him, insofar as she could, in order to appease the justice of God, that we may rightly say that she redeemed the human race together with Christ."

(c) Pope Pius XI called Our Lady Co-Redemptrix at least six (6) times. In the radio broadcast to the world at the solemn closing of the Jubilee Year which commemorated the Redemption of humanity (April 29, 1935) he prayed, "O Mother of piety and mercy who, when Thy most beloved Son was accomplishing the Redemption of the human race on the altar of the cross, didst stand there both suffering with Him and as a Co-Redemptrix; preserve us we beseech thee, and increase day by day, the precious fruit of His Redemption and of thy compassion."

(d) Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam (October 11, 1954) distinguishes Mary's role in the Redemption from her role as Mediatrix of All Grace. 

(e) On November 26, 1951, the entire Cuban hierarchy petitioned Pope Pius XII for a dogmatic definition of Mary as Co-Redemptrix. An entire nation of bishops felt that it could and should be defined.

(f) Just as Adam alone brought sin in the world, yet had the cooperation of Eve, Mary is the Second Eve. Christ alone brought redemption to the world with the cooperation of Mary.

(g)   When the Church teaches Christ alone is our Redeemer, they are referring to the primary, universal, and self-sufficient causality of Christ in the redemptive process which does not exclude Mary's secondary and totally subordinate cooperation which drew all its efficacy from the superabundant merits of her Divine Son. 

(h) Mary was redeemed by Christ, so how could she both receive the effect of redemption and be the cause of it? Because Mary cooperated to redeem all others not herself. Mary was redeemed by God preemptively in the Immaculate Conception, then together with Her Divine Son, she cooperated to redeem all others.

(i) Christ's merits have infinite value, so how can Mary's cooperation add anything to the Passion? Mary did not add (and could not add) anything to Christ's merits. However, God was pleased to accept her satisfaction together with Christ as a fitting way of making her the Second Eve, even as Christ was the Second Adam.

(See theologian Carol's Mariology, [1956] pgs. 56-65)

Seems very Catholic, does it not? However, even more importantly, the title Mediatrix of All Grace was going to be defined by Pope Pius XII.

Mary is the Mediatrix of All Grace

During the days of the last true pope, His Holiness Pope Pius XII, the pontiff had requested some theologians to become part of a commission to survey the world's bishops regarding their opinion on a dogmatic definition of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mediatrix of All Grace. Anticipating a positive outcome of the poll, the Holy Father also instructed them to prepare a draft of an Apostolic Constitution defining the dogma. Fr. DePauw knew at least two theologians appointed to that commission, and he too, believed that Mary's role as Mediatrix could (and should) be formally defined ex cathedra as a dogma of Divine and Catholic Faith.

Less than a year later, Pope Pius XII died, and Roncalli ("Pope" John XXIII) scrapped the entire project as being "offensive to Protestants." Then there was to be an entire document on the Mother of God at Vatican II. The orthodox theologians in the Preparatory Commission drew up the schemata to be named  DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, AND MOTHER OF MEN. Within it, Mary was defined as Mediatrix of All Grace and Co-Redemptrix. It, too, was relegated to the trash bin by a slim majority of  stalwart Modernist bishops. The final vote to retain the Constitution failed; 1,097  bishops voted to keep the Constitution on the Blessed Virgin Mary, and 1,114 bishops voted to completely eliminate the Constitution altogether. 

(N.B. Below, I have compiled and condensed the Mariology works of theologians Garrigou-Lagrange, Pohle, O'Connell, Neubert, and Carol. I take credit only for condensing the information from these sources. Furthermore, I have avoided, as much as possible, technical theological terminology that would need elaboration. In this way, I hope to make the explanations as easy to understand as possible for the average Traditionalist who has no advanced study in philosophy or theology.---Introibo). 

1.  The Meaning of the Prerogative

Mary is the one through whom all graces are bestowed upon humanity. Just as no one goes to the Father, except through Jesus Christ, so too, no one goes to Jesus except through His Immaculate Mother. By the term "all grace" it is meant just that: all sanctifying grace, actual grace, infused virtues, the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and all favors in the natural order (insofar as they may help attain eternal life) come to us through Mary. Why do all graces come through Mary? Primarily, because she gave us the author of grace, the God-Man Jesus Christ through her virginal womb. Secondarily, through her participation in her Divine Son's Passion as Co-Redemptrix, she subordinately to Christ and in virtue of His power, cooperated in His redemptive work, and she should therefore have a certain right to cooperate with Him in the distribution of the graces He so merited. 

Protestants will object that the Bible teaches there is but one Mediator between God and humanity; Jesus Christ (See, e.g., 1 Timothy 2:5).  However, while this is true, Mary, as Mother of God and Mother of Men, serves as a bond between people and her Son. Her mediation, far from diminishing or replacing that of Christ, results from His mediation and seems to complete it: it is carried out under Christ and in union with Christ from Whom it receives all its efficacy. 

Mary, by her intersession, allows all graces to flow to humanity throughout all space and time. Those prior to Mary's Assumption received grace in view of the future merits of Our Lady, and since her Assumption, all receive grace through her intercession. This does not mean we must ask for God's grace in Mary's name, but rather, whether she is invoked or not, we get the graces through her intercession. 

2. Holy Scripture indicates this prerogative

In Genesis 3:15 we read, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel." Our Lady is shown as intimately united with Christ in the whole process of redemption. Since the actual dispensation of grace is but an aspect of that whole process, it follows that Mary should be part of it. Mary's intercessory power is seen at the first miracle of Christ wrought at Cana (St. John 2:1-11), and in the sanctification of St. John the Baptist while in the womb of St. Elizabeth (St. Luke 1:41). 

3. Sacred Tradition indicates this prerogative 

There is no exact explicit mention of Mary as the "Mediatrix" in the first few centuries. but the root of the teaching was definitely with the Church Fathers:

St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 339-397) wrote:

Mary was alone when the Holy Spirit came upon her and overshadowed her. She was alone when she saved the world — operata est mundi salutem – and when she conceived the redemption of all — concepit redemptionem universorum.

St. Ephraem of Syria (c. 306-373) called Mary the “dispensatrix of all goods.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) wrote:

Hail, Mary, Mother of God, by whom all faithful souls are saved.

Mary, as Mediatrix of All Grace, is implicitly revealed in the different titles which Tradition gives Mary—that of Mother of God, most powerful in intercession with her Son, that of the new Eve intimately associated with the Redeemer, that of Mother of all men. Besides, it is a doctrine explicitly and formally affirmed by the morally unanimous consent of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, of preaching throughout the Church, and of the Liturgy. 

4. The Magisterium positively teaches the prerogative through papal pronouncements

We judge nothing more powerful and better for this purpose than by religion and devotion to deserve well of the great Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, who is the treasurer of our peace with God, and the mediatrix  of graces....(Pope Leo XIII, Supremi Apostolatus officio; Emphasis mine).

... it is right to say, that nothing at all of that very great treasury of all grace which the Lord brought us--for 'grace and truth came through Jesus Christ' (Jn 1.17)--nothing is imparted to us except through Mary, since God so wills, so that just as no one can come to the Father except through the Son, so in general, no one can come to Christ except through His Mother. (Pope Leo XIII,  Octobri mense; Emphasis mine).

Hence that never dissociated manner of life and labors of the Mother and the Son... . there stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother, not merely occupied in looking at the dreadful sight, but even rejoicing that 'her only Son was being offered for the salvation of the human race; and so did she suffer, with Him, that if it had been possible, she would have much more gladly suffered herself all the torments that her Son underwent' (St. Bonaventure I. Sent. d, 48, ad Litt. dub. 4). Now from this common sharing of will and suffering between Christ and Mary, she 'merited to become most worthily the Reparatrix of the lost world' (Eadmer, De Excellentia Virginis Mariae, 9) and therefore Dispensatrix of all the gifts which Jesus gained for us by His Death and by His Blood.... But Mary as St. Bernard fittingly remarks (De Aquaeductu 4) is the 'channel' or, even, the neck, through which the body is joined to the head, and likewise through which the head exerts its power and strength on the body. 'For she is the neck of our Head, by which all spiritual gifts are communicated to His Mystical Body.' (Pope St. Pius X, Ad diem illum; Emphasis mine). 

For he [St. Dominic] knew well that Mary ... has such influence with her divine Son, that He confers whatever of graces He confers on humans, does so always with her as minister and decision-maker. (Pope Benedict XV, Fausto appetente die; Emphasis mine).

... we know also that all things are imparted to us from God the Greatest and Best, through the hands of the Mother of God. (Pope Pius XI, Ingravescentibus malis; Emphasis mine).

... having been associated, as Mother and Minister, with the King of martyrs in the ineffable work of human Redemption, she is always associated, with a practically measureless power, in the distribution of the graces that derive from the Redemption.... And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion. (Pope Pius XII, Radio Address to Fatima, May 13, 1946; Emphasis mine). 

Objection: Sacramental graces are effectuated ex opere operato ("by the work worked [done]"). As long as the proper administer uses the correct matter and form, with the intention to do what the Church does, the sacrament will confer grace to any recipient who does not place an obstacle (obex) in the way. Therefore, Mary is not needed, and does not dispense sacramental graces.  

Reply: Mary mediates sacramental grace in two ways. Remotely, she gave us Christ, Who as True God and True Man instituted the sacraments; and sacramental grace was merited by her together with, and subordinately to, Jesus Christ as Co-Redemptrix.  Proximately, to have the very desire to receive the sacraments, and the proper dispositions to do so worthily, are the effects of actual graces which come about only through the intercession of Mary Immaculate. 

Did Vatican II Really Refrain from Using Mary's Titles?

Yes, but for pastoral/ecumenical reasons that were heretical, not for dogmatic reasons as falsely stated by MPF. What really gives the lie to all this Modernist claptrap is the original schema proposed by the orthodox theologians under Cardinal Ottavianni. 

From the schema on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and Mother of Men (BVM)

a) The Blessed Virgin Mary is Co-Redmeptrix of the Human Race.

Para. #2: The Word of the eternal Father willed to receive his human nature from a woman so that as

death came from a woman so also life would arise for us from a woman and thus liberation would be accomplished by both sexes

He did not accomplish this, however, until the designated Mother, redeemed in a more sublime way by the foreseen merits of Christ, had given her free acceptance (see Lk 1:38) so that by the incarnation the Son of God would become her Son also and the new Adam and Savior of the world. By this consent Mary, the daughter of Adam, not only became the Mother of Jesus, the one divine Mediator and Redeemer, but with him and under him also joined her work in accomplishing the redemption of the human race. This salvific consent of the Mother of God and thus her participation in the work of redemption lasted from the time of the virginal conception of Jesus Christ until his death; it especially shone forth when, not without the divine plan, she stood by the cross (cf. Jn 19:25), when she powerfully shared her only Son’s, with him and through him with all her heart offered him as the price of our redemption, and when she was given to men as their Mother by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross (see Jn 19:26-27). Because, however, the mystery of human redemption was not completed until the Holy Ghost Christ had promised came on the day of Pentecost, we contemplate Mary in the Cenacle with the Apostles persevering in prayer (see Acts 1:14) imploring by her prayers too the outpouring of the Spirit.

b) The Blessed Virgin Mary is Mediatrix of All Grace.

Para. #3: This humble "handmaid of the Lord," for whom "he who is mighty has done great things" (see Lk 1:49), is called the Mediatrix of all graces because she was associated with Christ in acquiring these graces, and she is invoked by the Church as our advocate and Mother of Mercy, because even now she remains the associate of the glorious Christ in heaven and intercedes for all through Christ so that in the conferral of all graces to men there is present the maternal charity of the Blessed Virgin. But in no way is the mediation of our only Mediator--according to the absolute sense of the words of the Apostle (1 Tm 2:5): "There is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus"--obscured or diminished; indeed this mediation of Christ is extolled and honored. For it is in Christ that Mary is Mediatrix, and her mediation comes, not from any necessity, but from the divine pleasure and from the superabundance and virtue of the merits of Jesus; it rests on the mediation of Christ, entirely depends on it, and obtains its entire force from it.

Conclusion

The assault on the Mother of God continues unabated in both the world and especially in the Vatican II sect. What's most perverse is that Robert Prevost and his merry band of Modernists try to make her denigration look like "devotion" and "faithfulness to Scripture." I don't want to even contemplate what fate awaits them if they do not sincerely repent before death.