Catholic and Mary: Why di Pope wan 'correct' devotion to Our Lady? – BBC

Wia dis foto come from, Public Domain
Pope Leo XIV bin clarify di role wey Mary, di mother of Jesus, dey play for di Catholic doctrine and tradition inside document wey dem publish dis week.
To some, e bin sound like say dem don "demote" di main saint of Catholic myth.
According to experts wey BBC Brasil interview, di gesture na adjustment to di "idolatrous worship of di Virgin Mary" wey bin seek to place her for di central role for di "narrative of salvation" — and, in di ecumenical way, di response to constant criticism from Protestants of di veneration wey Catholics promote for her.
In practice, di document na way to reduce certain abuse of di devotion wey don grown significantly in recent centuries — for one point, dem dey steal di saint protagonism say, for di Church, wey suppose belong to di Holy Trinity, wey be, God di Father, Jesus di Son, and di Holy Spirit, di divine force.
Prepared by di Congregation for di Doctrine of di Faith, wey Pope Francis bin sign, and dem bin publish am on Wednesday (November 5), di document present a historical account of how dem bin understand Mary throughout Christianity, and how dem no suppose use di title "co-redemptrix" for her role, and dem dey also urge pipo to dey careful to refer to her as "mediator."
For Christian terminology, redeemer na pesin wey dey redeem, wey dey liberate—na title wey dem give to Jesus. A mediator, on di oda hand, fit be intercessor, pesin wey dey mediates.
For theologian Vinícius Paiva, a specialist for Mariology and member of di board of directors of di Marian Academy of Aparecida—wia im also professor—di focus of di papal document no be popular piety, but instead, e dey "adjust Marian devotion."
"Di main target of di document na di titles 'co-redemptrix' and 'mediator of all graces,'" im explain as im note say dis no be di terms wey dem dey use well-well for piety.
Wia dis foto come from, Public Domain
Di Church text also criticise di 'political exploitation' of di religious figure and, as dem dey value Mary role for Jesus' plan of salvation.
Dem explain say she be di intercessor, di 'mother of di faithful' wey dey pray — but she hersef no get di autonomy to save.
According to di document, e dey necessary to avoid 'di danger to see divine grace as if Mary na di distributor of spiritual goods or energy wey different from our personal relationship wit Jesus Christ.'
On social media, many Catholics dey complain ontop X (formerly Twitter), say posts dey for dia wey dey call di document 'harmful' and even 'satanic.'
'Make we hope say we live to see, one day, one pope wey declare di belief say Virgin Mary na co-redemptrix,' na wetin one user post.
'Against Mater Populi Fidelis,' another pesin write, as e quote di official name of di Vatican text.
'Anoda attack by di Vatican on di Holy Catholic Church,' anoda pesin post.
Criticism also dey for YouTube and oda social networks.
One professor for di Adventist University Centre for São Paulo and researcher of Christian history for Andrews University for di United States, theologian Alberto Tasso recall say 'discussions about di role of Mary' date back to di early days of Christianity.
Dis week document itself recall say interest for 'divine motherhood' date back to 'di early centuries,' wen dem bin give Mary di title Theotokos, or Mother of God—di decision wey Christian leaders wey gada for di Council of Ephesus in 431 bin make.
'Dis idea bin elevate Mary to di position wey dey above di one of an ordinary mother,' Tasso tok
Wit di document, Tasso understand say Leo no dey 'change' di idea of Theotokos, 'but im dey emphasise di role of Christ as di only mediator.'
'I go like tok say na interesting, or even commendable, stance to clarify and exalt di figure of Christ as di only mediator,' im tok.
On one side of Christianity, dis Marian devotion go only increase.
For di Catholic Church, dem bin don proclaim successive doctrines — say she get belle without original sin, and she remain as virgin throughout her life, and, most recently, 75 years ago, she bin ascend to heaven in body and soul.
Protestants, on di other hand, wey rely exclusively on di Bible without seeking answers for understanding or wetin history of doctrines bin tok, don relegate her to a generally respectful role wey big pass human nature — e place her as pious and virtuous mother wey bin make di coming of Jesus possible, but nothing much beyond dat.
Di Catholic view bin develop in such a way wey Mary dey take di leading role evritime and e no ever dey present for di doctrine.
E get one-kain caricature illustration, but one wey get social basis, fit dey found for di play O Auto da Compadecida, wey Ariano Suassuna (1927-2014) bin write for 1955 and dem turn am into one famous feem in 2000.
For di plot, wen di protagonist João Grilo bin go to di dreaded final judgement, im bin get evritin wey dem for use condemn am to hell, but im manage to escape wen im beg di mother of Jesus, Mary di 'compadecida' (di compassionate one), to make di judgement. And she, like a loving mother, give am second chance for di character.
Wia dis foto come from, National Archives
Historically, theologian Tasso observe say Catholicism bin don allow, in recent centuries, one certain 'distancing' from Jesus as mediator. For am, di figure of di Son of God end up as divine and less human.
And dis bin open space for one veneration of Mary as a personality closer to di faithful.
'Na from dia di idea say di son no go eva say no to any request from im mother. Di Hail Mary prayer itself, wey pipo dey ask her to "pray for us sinners" [take note of dis ],' im observes.
'Marian devotion dey very old and e dey always dey very close to popular faith. Her figure as mother bring her closer to di simple faithful in a much more practical and tangible way dan di idea of an immaterial, spiritual God,' na wetin di historian and anthropologist Lidice Meyer, author of di book Cristianismo no Feminino (Christianity in di Feminine) comment.
'Popular faith dey use all di human senses: e need physical contact wit di object wey dem dey look upto wen dem dey pray, di repeated sounds of prayers and even di smell of burning candles or offered flowers.'
'Di representation of Mary for almost all Catholic churches for di main altar, dey even more prominent most times dan Christ, and di almost complete absence of representations of God di Father and di Holy Spirit lead to an interpretation, even if unconscious, of her relative importance to faith and salvation.'
'No be just today wey di Church leadership do dey attentive to possible doctrinal deviations wey pipo dey push wit common sense,' she add.
For di realm of faith, diafore, di scenario dey complex.
'Ecclesial groups dey, including conservative and ultra-conservative groups, wey don dey for many decades bin don dey ask di Church to proclaim di doctrine of Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix of all graces,' na wetin theologian Paiva point out.
'But di Church no gree do so. Since Vatican II, di papal magisterium don seriously reject dis term to explain Mary relationship wit di work of salvation.'
'For di pipo, notin dey change,' Paiva tok. 'Di relationship of filial devotion wey di faithful get wit Mary go kontinu.'
For di theologian, dis na di 'great redemption' of di document. Im point out say Leo 14 coins na 'new title wey summarise dis relationship wit di pipo'.
'Our Lady na di mother of di faithful pipo,' im observe, translating di Latin expression wey title di text. 'Di document safeguard dis spiritual motherhood of Mary.'
'E no dey touch on popular piety. It dey adjust terminology wey dem bin don use within di Church by some maximalist segments,' Paiva explain.
Within Mariology, dis na di name wey dem bin give to di pipo wey dey more concerned wit di 'divine' dimensions of Mary dan wit her historical and human aspects.
Dem dey see Maximalists as di pipo wey place Mary as di figure above di oda saints.
'Almost equal to God,' Paiva tok.
'Na view wey understand Mary as if she be di fourth pesin of di Holy Trinity,' di theologian and historian Gerson Leite de Moraes, professor for Mackenzie Presbyterian University add.
Since di proclamation of di last Marian doctrine for November 1950 — by Pope Pius XII (1876-1958) —, some Catholic movement bin dey calling for new doctrine wey go officially name her co-redemptrix.
'Mary as co-redemptrix fit be a fifth Marian doctrine, wey, although dey proposed by some, e no correspond to Christian doctrine,' anthropologist Meyer summarise.
'To accept say Mary get di function of co-redemption go be to link her pesin to di divinity of Christ and reduce di role of Jesus on di cross. Christ death on di cross occurs for a substitutionary manner and e go only dey effective because Christ na also God.'
Wia dis foto come from, National Archives
Officially, di proposal don always met wit resistance from di Catholic leadership.
Di Second Vatican Council, from 1962 to 1965, bin make am clear say Mary, for di narrative of salvation, na subordinate to Jesus — and dem no go fit make her equal to am.
Meyer emphasis di role of dis meeting to 'restore humanity to Mary,' to show her "as a woman and disciple and to determine say di cult of Mary suppose dey "oriented towards di Christological centre of di Christian faith".
Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) bin use di term for at least seven statements — but im bin no eva explain wetin im mean as e use am.
No pope, however, don show any effort to turn di name into doctrine.
Francis (1036-2025), Leo XIV predecessor, bin openly reject dis idea, im emphasise Mary role as 'first disciple'.
'Na di final point for di expression "co-redemptrix". [Leo 14] tok say dat name dey inappropriate, untimely, and dem no go fit use am,' Paiva tok.
'Regarding di mediatrix of all graces, di guidelines be say, make dem clearly explain to di pipo: pastoral care so dat dem no go misunderstand say Mary na di holder of di power wey dey disassociated from di power of God.'
'I go like to say dem bin do dat adjustment so dat di language wey dem go use wen dem dey tok about Mary go dey more thoughtful, more appropriate, more consistent wit di doctrine of di Church,' theologian Paiva put am for context.
'Di note bring notin new. But e bring practical application: di veto on di word co-redemptrix,' Paiva summarise. 'No be response from di Church to popular faith, but na adjustment.'
'I understand say di Catholic Church [through dis text] no dey reject popular devotion [to Mary] under any circumstances, but correct am by making di boundary between di worship due only to God and di veneration of di Virgin quite explicit,' na wetin theologian and historian Fabio Darius, professor for di Adventist University Centre in São Paulo comment.
For am, wen di Holy See refer to her as di 'first disciple' instead of 'redeemer,' e dey point 'to di primacy of Christ,' wey place Mary collaboration as 'di fruit of divine initiative.'
'I think, above all, say although di faithful of all ages, including today, refer to Mary wit di most beautiful, eloquent and sincere words, e dey necessary to seek theological precision, becos any misunderstanding fit obviously lead to errors for di Christological level, wey be, to minimise di role of Christ,' Darius emphasise.
'Di pipo wey interpret di Pope statements as "downgrading" of Mary role need to read di text more carefully,' Meyer add. 'Leo 14 bring nothing new. Im merely say make pipo use di Marian titles wit caution becos e fit lead to misinterpretations, especially among pipo of simpler devotion.'
She take as example di understanding of Mary as 'mediator.' Di Vatican text tok say: 'She, di first redeemed, no go fit be mediator of di same grace wey she herself bin receive.'
"Dis mean say Mary no dey distribute grace for Jesus' absence. Di theology wey bin dem bin express for di Hail Mary prayer' tok say Mary can pray for us, but not save us,' di anthropologist explain 'Di expression "Mary as mediatrix" diafore arise from dis possibility of mediation bifor Jesus and not from direct mediation wit God. However, due to di possibility of misunderstandings, e dey recommended say make pipo avoid di use of dis Marian title.'
Di papal text tok say: 'Di expression "shared mediation" fit express precise and precious sense of Mary place, but if dem misunderstand am, e fit easily cut-out or even contradict imsef. Christ mediation, wey for some respect fit be "inclusive" or shared, in other respect dey exclusive and incommunicable.'
'Di document no reduce Mary. E increase Christ,' Tasso point out. 'E no tok say make dem no Mary venerate Mary, or change di historical position of Catholicism or di role wey Mary get.'
Paiva agree say di document no reduce Mary. On di contrary, e exalt her. 'Dem fit call anybody co-redeemer, as long as dem offer dia sacrifice and unite am wit christ. Im comment. 'But na only one mother of di Redeemer.' For im view, di document 'expand di focus on Mary.'
'Dem no reduce her. Dem reposition her, im argue from a more open angle wey dey more in line wit contemporary Mariology,' di professor tok.
'At di popular level, dis get little effect. For di pastoral level, some initiatives go need to dey readjusted, reformulated. So far, di greatest impact go be on those wey dey complain di most, those wey dey complain for social media. Na di ultra-conservatives and conservatives wey bin make dis real figure of Mary, wey give her di logic of power.'
"For me, e be like say na clearer theological direction, sake of make dem sustain di devotion, but, so to speak, dem don smoothen certain rough edges out. Dis supposed restraint na, for my view, an attempt at doctrinal correction,' Darius tok. 'Mary bin neva get, don get, or go eva get di supporting role for di Catholic faith. And I particularly no believe say dis note go significantly change di way pipo dey view Mary for many communities, wey many generations don find found and continue to find comfort and mediation for di pesin of di mother of Christ."
'Di document also state say make political groups no use di figure of Mary. Dis dey veri common: pipo use di figure of Mary wen dem dey tok say "hia we are praying for di great victory". Di document question am,' Paiva point out.
Wia dis foto come from, National Archives
'No be Catholic reaction [to evangelical advances],' Paiva argue 'But di document get ecumenical concern.' Im tok say becos of di way Catholics treat Mary, dialogue wit oda Christians dey become 'even more challenging.' By promoting dis adjustment, diafore, di Pope fit build stronger bridges wit Christian segments.
For theologian Tasso, di document from Leo XIV pontificate promote 'beta dialogue' wit di world, 'especially di evangelical world.'
'No doubt say dis Catholic clarification na reaction to di growing evangelical movement, wey harshly criticise dis idea of Mary as an almost divine being wit almost divine prerogatives,' im point out.
Darius agree say di Church note 'dey clearly ecumenical.' "I understand say dis ecumenical factor na strong reason for di Catholic Church to discourage certain titles. To agree say Christ na di only redeemer and mediator, [Catholicism] attempt to facilitate good relationship, sake of say di issue na major theological obstacle to dialogue [wit oda Christian churches].
Meyer no beliv say Leo motivation na for evangelical advancement. 'Na true, however, say di greater criteria regarding Mary special role for redemption ultimately create greater possibility for dialogue between di two major branches of Christianity: Catholicism and Protestantism,' im tok.
© 2025 BBC. De external site no concern BBC. De way wey we de take go external link.

source