Responding to recent questions raised by African bishops concerned about the practice of polygamy, the Vatican issued a sweeping defence of monogamy Tuesday, Nov. 25.

The 40-page doctrinal note “Una Caro (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy: Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage as an Exclusive Union and Mutual Belonging,” was issued […] by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It offers a far-reaching theological, biblical, and cultural reflection on the Catholic Church’s teaching that marriage is a “unique and exclusive” union between one man and one woman.
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In Rome, on November 4—the memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo—the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Mater Populi Fidelis, a doctrinal note that feels like a gentle breeze amid the stormy seas of ecumenical dialogue. More fully titled Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation, this document is not just another Vatican pronouncement; it is a thoughtful, Scripture-soaked reflection that reins in exuberant Marian devotions while anchoring them firmly in the mystery of Christ. For some within the broader Christian family, especially Anglicans, this note arrives as a welcome affirmation. It conveys a balanced reverence for the Blessed Virgin, reminding us that ecumenism is not about compromise but about rediscovering shared truths.
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It is “not appropriate” to refer to the Virgin Mary as “Co-redemptrix” because it obscures Christ’s exclusive role in the work of redemption, according to a new Vatican document.

“This title risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith,” the document says. “When an expression requires many, repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful.”
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While praising devotion to Mary, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly rejected moves to formally proclaim Mary as “co-redemptrix” or “co-mediatrix.”

In a lengthy doctrinal note titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the dicastery said the title co-redemptrix or co-redeemer “carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ” in salvation.

And, regarding the title co-mediatrix or co-mediator, it said that Mary, “the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received.”
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Two things struck me while reading Dignitas Infinita or “Infinite Dignity,” the new declaration on surrogacy, gender and life from the Vatican released April 8 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

For one, the document sets a new standard for transparency about how it was written, and, second, it goes to lengths to impress on its readers how long the church has taught on these topics.

The document, which applies church teaching to current threats to human dignity, makes clear that human dignity does not depend on wealth, intelligence, social status or abilities, but on the intrinsic worth of every human being.
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