Vatican Cracks Down on Exaggerated Worship of Mary as 'Co-Redeemer'
The Catholic Church has issued a decree instructing Catholics not to refer to Mary as having helped her son Jesus save the world from damnation, amid growing concerns over an exaggerated worship of the Madonna that has spread on social media. The move aims to curb claims of apparitions, weeping statues, and self-styled prophets who are capitalizing on devotion to Mary.
According to the Vatican's doctrinal office, approved by Pope Leo, Jesus alone is responsible for saving humanity from hellfire, making it unnecessary to invoke Mary as a "co-redeemer" or "co-redemptrix". This stance has been taken in an effort to prevent confusion and promote balance in understanding Christian doctrine.
The decision may come as a relief to progressive Catholics, who have long questioned the legitimacy of devotional practices that attribute semi-divine status to Mary. In contrast, conservative Catholics have historically revered Mary's role as Jesus' mother and co-redeemer.
The Vatican has been cracking down on dubious supernatural claims, particularly those emanating from social media. Last year, the Church tightened rules surrounding apparitions and other Marian phenomena, aiming to prevent scams and hoaxes that have proliferated in recent years.
Critics argue that devotional practices, especially when taken too far, can become self-centered and detract from Jesus' exclusive role as savior. The Vatican's stance may be seen as a way of reining in an overly enthusiastic devotion that has crossed into the realm of hysteria.
As Pope Francis warned earlier this year, excessive Marian devotion can lead to an imbalance that eclipses the central message of Christianity: Jesus Christ is the sole savior of humanity.
The Catholic Church has issued a decree instructing Catholics not to refer to Mary as having helped her son Jesus save the world from damnation, amid growing concerns over an exaggerated worship of the Madonna that has spread on social media. The move aims to curb claims of apparitions, weeping statues, and self-styled prophets who are capitalizing on devotion to Mary.
According to the Vatican's doctrinal office, approved by Pope Leo, Jesus alone is responsible for saving humanity from hellfire, making it unnecessary to invoke Mary as a "co-redeemer" or "co-redemptrix". This stance has been taken in an effort to prevent confusion and promote balance in understanding Christian doctrine.
The decision may come as a relief to progressive Catholics, who have long questioned the legitimacy of devotional practices that attribute semi-divine status to Mary. In contrast, conservative Catholics have historically revered Mary's role as Jesus' mother and co-redeemer.
The Vatican has been cracking down on dubious supernatural claims, particularly those emanating from social media. Last year, the Church tightened rules surrounding apparitions and other Marian phenomena, aiming to prevent scams and hoaxes that have proliferated in recent years.
Critics argue that devotional practices, especially when taken too far, can become self-centered and detract from Jesus' exclusive role as savior. The Vatican's stance may be seen as a way of reining in an overly enthusiastic devotion that has crossed into the realm of hysteria.
As Pope Francis warned earlier this year, excessive Marian devotion can lead to an imbalance that eclipses the central message of Christianity: Jesus Christ is the sole savior of humanity.
i mean who needs mary to save us from hellfire anyway? 
let's keep it simple and focus on jesus alone as our savior 
i know some ppl might be like "but what about all those apparitions and statues?" and i'm like "idk, maybe it's just the devil trying to confuse us 
" anyway, i think this move is a great way to promote balance in christian doctrine and not let mary overshadow jesus' awesomeness 
. I get why they're trying to curb the exaggerated worship of Mary, but isn't it a bit too much to crack down on devotional practices? I mean, if people want to pray and show devotion to Mary, that's their business. It's not hurting anyone else. The problem is when people start making claims about apparitions and statues weeping blood - that's just getting out of hand 
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I mean, she was there when he died on the cross and all that. She definitely had a front-row seat to his suffering! 
Anyway, Pope Francis is tryin' to keep it real, but some ppl might see this as just another way for the Church to control what we believe... or don't believe 
... the Vatican thinks it's cool to crack down on people being extra devoted to Mary but like what's wrong with showing some love and respect to the woman who carried Jesus? I'm all for not confusing her with God or anything, but can't they just chill out a bit? It feels like they're trying to stifle people's faith and it's just not fair 
. And let's be real, those apparition stories are wild 
... if you can't even trust what the Church is saying about its own history then how do we know what's true anymore? 
. I get that Jesus is the big man, but can't Mary have her moment in the sun too? 
It's just not about diminishing Jesus' role or anything, it's about showing some appreciation for the woman who made it all possible... I mean, come on 
!
This whole thing feels like the Church trying to control every little devotional habit of its followers. What's next, a rule on how many rosaries they can say daily? 
anyways, i feel like the vatican's tryna be all about balance n stuff, but u can't blame ppl 4 celebratin' mary's role in Jesus' life - it's a big deal! 
i mean, don't get me wrong, mary is def a saint and all but christians shouldn't be obsessing over her like she's some kinda co-savior or something 
. the vatican's trying to prevent people from getting too caught up in devotional practices that can get out of hand 
. pope francis is right on point with this one 
. And honestly, I'm kinda glad the Church is addressing these supernatural claims – last year was wild with all those scams and hoaxes 
. But for real, let's not get too carried away with our devotionals, you feel? 
that stuff can be super messed up. But I'm also kinda worried that this might just push people away from devotional practices altogether. Like, if we don't feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, what does that say about our society?
. The Church is always saying that we should focus on one thing, but then they go and make rules about everything else too 
. I mean, can't we just chill out a bit? 
The Vatican's move to crack down on exaggerated worship of Mary as a "co-redeemer" seems like a necessary step, but I'm not sure it goes far enough. 
That being said, I do think it's understandable to want to prevent confusion and promote balance in understanding Christian doctrine. But what about the risk of stifling genuine spiritual expression? 
. It just makes sense to me that we don't wanna confuse people or make them think Jesus isn't the one who saves us. The Vatican is like, trying to strike a balance and keep things real 
. I think Pope Francis is right on point w/ his warning about hysteria 
. But at the same time, I feel for progressive Catholics who've been questionin these devotional practices... it's all about findin that balance, ya know? 