An evangelical theologian has questioned the theological coherence of a recent Vatican doctrinal note addressing the controversial Marian title “Co-redemptrix,” arguing that while the document slows momentum toward defining a new dogma, it simultaneously reaffirms a Roman Catholic framework that leaves the issue unresolved.
Leonardo De Chirico, an Italian evangelical pastor and scholar, offered the assessment in a commentary published Dec. 1 on his Vatican Files website, responding to a Nov. 4 note issued by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith titled Mater Populis Fidelis. The note addresses long-running debates within Roman Catholicism over language describing Mary’s role in salvation, particularly whether she can be formally designated as “Co-redemptrix.”
According to De Chirico, the Vatican document signals a temporary pause rather than a definitive rejection of the title, reflecting internal tensions within Catholic Mariology and the absence of a clearly settled position.
“The Note is cautious about new developments towards Mary’s title as ‘Co-redemptrix,’” De Chirico wrote, “but it unwaveringly reaffirms the traditional Roman Catholic Mariology,” including doctrines and devotional practices that he regards as theologically problematic.
The Vatican text reiterates the Catholic understanding of Christ’s mediation as “inclusive” and participatory, language that De Chirico says continues to allow for the intercession and mediation of Mary and the saints. In his assessment, this approach falls short of a Christ-centered soteriology.
“There is no ‘Christ alone’ theology in the Note,” he wrote.
The title “Co-redemptrix” has circulated for centuries in Catholic devotional contexts, appearing in popular piety and in the writings of some mystics. In the modern period, several popes, including Pius X and Pius XI, referred to Mary’s participation in redemption, while Pope John Paul II frequently spoke of her cooperation in Christ’s saving work, contributing to expectations among some Catholics that the Vatican might one day proclaim a fifth Marian dogma.
The last two Marian dogmas formally defined by Rome were the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Bodily Assumption in 1950. Since then, calls to recognize Mary as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate have periodically gained momentum, particularly through devotional movements rather than formal doctrinal processes.
De Chirico noted that resistance to defining the title has also come from senior Catholic leaders. Joseph Ratzinger, before becoming Pope Benedict XVI, warned that the term was theologically unclear and prone to misunderstanding. Pope Francis later expressed similar concerns, cautioning that the language could obscure the uniqueness of Christ’s redemptive work.
Those cautions are echoed in Mater Populis Fidelis, which warns against interpretations that would place Mary alongside Christ as a parallel redeemer. The note emphasizes that any Marian language must avoid confusion about the singular sufficiency of Christ’s redemption.
A key development, De Chirico observed, is that Pope Leo XIV approved the document, aligning himself with the cautious position taken by his predecessors. As a result, the Vatican has signaled that it does not intend to move forward with defining a new Marian dogma at this time.
For De Chirico, however, the decision represents a provisional restraint rather than a doctrinal resolution.
“It is more of a temporary stop of the process than a definitive halt,” he wrote, adding that the Catholic approach to Mariology remains “open-ended” because it is not governed by the principle of Scripture alone.
In his commentary, De Chirico framed the debate as part of a broader pattern within Roman Catholic theology, where tensions often exist between what he described as “maximalist” and “minimalist” approaches to Mary. He argued that the current Vatican leadership appears to favor a more restrained position, though that balance could shift in the future.
He further contended that Marian developments historically have been driven more by lex orandi—the life of worship, liturgy, and spirituality—than by lex credendi, formal doctrinal clarification. While the Vatican note raises theological cautions, he said, it continues to encourage Marian devotion, leaving space for future doctrinal expansion.
“In other words,” De Chirico wrote, “the door for Mary’s co-redemption is not definitively closed, but only left ajar.”
De Chirico concluded by contrasting the Vatican’s approach with what he described as a biblical model of honoring Mary, emphasizing imitation of her faith and trust in Christ alone for salvation.
“There is a far truer and better way to honor Mary,” he wrote, “than that of the Vatican Note: imitate her faith and cherish her legacy according to Scripture while trusting in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.”
De Chirico is pastor of Breccia di Roma, an evangelical church in the Italian capital, and director of the Reformanda Initiative, which seeks to equip evangelical leaders to understand and engage with Roman Catholicism. He also leads the Rome Scholars Network. He holds degrees in history, theology and bioethics, and earned a doctorate from King’s College London.
