Major archbishop clarifies Vatican’s Marian note amid social media confusion

Raphael Thattil says Church teaching on Mary remains unchanged and urges faithful to resist “false teachings” circulating online about doctrinal clarification.

KAKKANAD, Kerala (Indian Catholic News) — The Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church has moved to clarify a new Vatican doctrinal note on Marian devotion after “misleading discussions and interpretations” on social media suggested a retreat from traditional Catholic teaching.

In a circular dated Nov. 8, 2025, Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil of Ernakulam-Angamaly said some online commentary had wrongly portrayed the Vatican document as diminishing the honour given to Mary or accepting Protestant ideas.

“With the approval of Pope Leo XIV, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has published a Doctrinal Note entitled Mother of the Faithful People (Mater Populi fidelis), declaring that it is not theologically appropriate to address Blessed Virgin Mary as ‘co-redemptrix’, and titles such as ‘Mother of Graces’ and ‘Mediatrix’ must be used prudently,” he wrote.

“You would have noticed some misleading discussions and interpretations happening on social media, suggesting that this represents a step back from the honour previously given by the Catholic Church to Mary or as an acceptance of Protestant ideas.”

He stressed: “We should keep in mind that the Church’s fundamental teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary remain unchanged.”

“The Church officially proclaimed four dogmas about Mary: she is the Mother of God, ever-virgin, immaculate, and her assumption into heaven. The Church continues to proclaim these four doctrinal truths without alteration.”

Clarifying theological misunderstandings

Archbishop Thattil said the doctrinal note “aims to correct theological misunderstandings that have arisen from certain terms used to describe Mother Mary” and that “The heart of this document is a call to remain with her spiritual motherhood.”

He underlined that “The most important instruction is to refrain from using the term ‘co-redemptrix’.”

“It is not right to interpret this as a new direction. The Church has never declared and taught officially that Mary is co-redemptrix,” he wrote, while acknowledging that “some Marian devotees have used the title out of their love for the Holy Mother.”

The note, he explained, warns that saying “Mary is a co-redemptrix” might imply that “Christ’s salvific work is incomplete without her assistance” or suggest “that salvation is possible only through a joint effort of Jesus and Mary.”

“Such ideas would diminish the unique and supreme role of Christ in humanity’s salvation; therefore, the document recommends avoiding this expression,” he wrote.

Similarly, he said, calling Mary “Mother of Graces” could “give the impression that all graces originate from her,” when “The source of all graces is God alone.”

On the title “mediatrix”, he added: “Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity.”

“The document underlined the fact that Christ alone is the ‘One and the only mediator’ between God and humanity, because he is both fully divine and fully human,” he wrote. “‘Jesus, the unique mediator’ means that no one else can stand in the middle between God and humanity, but Jesus alone.”

Thattil emphasised that the document seeks to highlight “the unparalleled uniqueness of Christ’s mediatorship, while preserving the Church’s traditional devotion to Mary and giving it the correct direction.”

He reaffirmed that “The Blessed Virgin Mary is worthy of the highest honour in the Church (hyperdulia)” and that “Devotion to the Blessed Mother expressed through the rosary, novenas, scapular devotion, and other prayers remains in the Catholic Church without any change.”

Concluding his message, he urged vigilance: “I invite everybody to be vigilant against the vested interests and the false teachings of those who misinterpret this document, which defines with clarity the role of Jesus and the Blessed Mother Mary in the plan of salvation.”

The circular, issued from the Major Archiepiscopal Curia at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, is to be read in all parishes and institutions of the Syro-Malabar Church during the Mass on Nov. 9, 2025, or the following Sunday.