In recent hours — as has sadly become customary — social media and the blogs of so-called pseudo-traditionalists have been flooded with comments and insults directed at the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and at Pope Leo XIV. The reason? The Doctrinal Note “Mater Populi Fidelis”, published on 4 November and approved by the Holy Father. Once again, the ecclesial debate has been poisoned by those who claim to be defenders of the truth yet prove incapable of dialogue, of speaking with respect, and — above all — of listening. And yet, as one can clearly see from the full text, the document is a lucid, carefully written, and profoundly biblicalwork. Its aim is not to diminish Mary’s role, but to restore it to its authentic place in the mystery of salvation: that of Mother and disciple, who invites believers to look to her Son and to “do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
A document of high magisterial value
During the presentation in Rome, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery, clarified both the nature and intent of the text: “We present today a Doctrinal Note. The term doctrinal means that this document carries a special weight, greater than those issued in the past two years. Signed by the Pope, it belongs to the ordinary Magisterium of the Church and must therefore be taken into account in the study of Mariological themes.”
The Note — the result of decades of reflection, dating back to the time of Cardinal Ratzinger — did not appear out of nowhere. It responds to many questions and proposals received by the Holy See over the last thirty years, offering a synthesis that stands firmly within the continuity of papal teaching, from Saint John Paul II to Benedict XVI.
Co-Redemptrix: why the title is inappropriate
One of the most debated issues in the document concerns the title “Co-Redemptrix”, which the text judges as “always inappropriate” and “inconvenient.” The reason is clear: no title can obscure the unique redemptive mediation of Christ. Mary cooperated in salvation, but in a subordinate and participatory way — never autonomous or parallel. The Note recalls Saint Paul’s words: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Far from diminishing the Mother’s honour, this clarification protects the purity of faith, reminding us that Mary’s greatness lies precisely in her total dependence on Christ. As Ratzinger stated in 2002, “The formula ‘Co-Redemptrix’ departs too far from the language of Scripture and the Fathers, and therefore causes misunderstandings.” It is not, as some wrongly claim, an ecumenical concession — it is a matter of our faith, not that of others.
Mediatrix: a title to be rightly understood
The title “Mediatrix” is also treated with balance. The document affirms that, in the biblical and theological sense, Christ is the only Mediator between God and humankind (1 Tim 2:5–6). Yet Mary participates maternally in this mediation through her intercession and proximity. Thus, she is not a parallel channel of grace beside Christ, but the Mother who guides her children to the Lord, awakening in them the openness to grace that only God can give.
A Mariology of the Gospel, not of sentimentality
The Note “Mater Populi Fidelis” does not reject popular devotion — on the contrary, it exalts it as a treasure of the Church, reminding us that the devotion of the simple, often dismissed by certain intellectualisms, is a gift of the Spirit. But true devotion does not invent dogmas nor turn Mary into Christ’s shadow. She is the perfect image of the disciple, the first of believers, the one who sings to the God who “has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.”
The violent reactions: a spiritual symptom
Given such doctrinal clarity, the reaction of some so-called traditionalist groups is astonishing — they responded with insults and slogans even before the document’s publication. Such behaviour betrays both inconsistency and ignorance, often coming from those who clearly have neither read nor understood the text.
The personal attacks against the Pope and the Prefect — built on the same tired arguments — reveal a deeper unease. Like holy water to the devil, truth provokes in those unwilling to convert a form of spiritual irritation. Verbal violence, caricature, anger, insult, insinuation, accusations of heresy — these are not signs of faith, but mirrors of inner wounds.
Mary, Mother of the Faithful People
Ultimately, the entire document revolves around a single image: Mary, Mother of the Faithful People. A Mother who does not divide, does not compete, does not replace her Son, but leads us to Him with tenderness. A Mother who intercedes, who accompanies, who teaches the trust of the simple. A Mother who asks for no dogmas for herself, but desires only that the Gospel may shine in its purity.
In times marked by confusion and by shouted words, “Mater Populi Fidelis” stands as a lesson in sobriety and faith. It reminds us that Christian life does not revolve around apparitions, devotional songs, or religious slogans, but around a real encounter — the encounter with Jesus Christ. When Christ is obscured, and a Marian apparition becomes more central than the Lord Himself, something is profoundly amiss.
“Mater Populi Fidelis” reminds us that Mary never places herself at the centre; like every true believer, she always points to Christ, the only Saviour. Those who fail to understand this perhaps do not have a problem with the Pope or with the Prefect — but with the very logic of the Gospel.
f.A.M.
Silere non possum