8.103. I feel embarrassed when Protestants ask if calling Mary Co-Redemptrix or Queen of Heaven puts her equal to Jesus. Isn’t that too much? I honestly don’t know how to answer this.
This discomfort is the direct result of Vatican II ecumenism, which downplayed devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to appear less “offensive” to Protestants. The Council’s deliberate vagueness on Marian dogma (e.g. Lumen Gentium §67) produced a generation of Catholics who now feel ashamed of one of the most glorious truths of the Faith.
You’re not alone—many modern Catholics feel this way, but only because they’ve been inadequately catechized. The problem is not that Catholic teaching on Mary is “too much”—the problem is that we’ve been taught too little. Mary is not honored instead of Christ, nor equal to Christ, but entirely because of Christ.
She is Co-Redemptrix not because she has equal power, but because she united her entire life and suffering to Christ’s work of redemption as no other creature ever has. She is Queen of Heaven and Earth because her Son is the King of Kings. She is Empress of the Universe because she reigns with Him, not above Him.
These titles exalt her precisely because of her perfect dependence on Him.
Below is a comparison between the traditional Catholic understanding of Mary’s exalted role, and the modern Protestant-influenced discomfort and misunderstanding.
| Title or Concept | Catholic Meaning | Protestant Misunderstanding | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Redemptrix | She cooperated uniquely in redemption by offering Christ to the Father and sharing in His Passion spiritually | “She’s being made equal to Christ!” | “Co-” means “with,” not “equal to”—her role depends entirely on Christ |
| Mediatrix of All Graces | All graces come from Christ **through Mary**, by God’s will | “That’s putting her between us and God!” | Christ is the source; Mary is the channel, just as the Church and sacraments are |
| Queen of Heaven and Earth | She is Queen because Christ is King (cf. 1 Kings 2:19; Rev. 12) | “Where is that in the Bible?” | The Mother of the King is the Queen Mother (cf. Bathsheba); Revelation 12 shows Mary crowned |
| Immaculate Conception | Mary was preserved from original sin **because** she was to be the Mother of God | “All have sinned!” | Christ is the exception—and Mary is saved **by a singular grace** of Christ’s merits applied in advance |
| Assumption | Mary was taken body and soul into Heaven by God | “That’s not in the Bible” | Like Enoch and Elijah, Mary was assumed by divine favor; the Church has always believed this |
| Prayer to Mary | We ask her intercession—she prays **for us**, not **instead of us** | “You’re worshipping Mary!” | Veneration (dulia) is not adoration (latria). We honor her because Christ did (Luke 1:48) |
| Christ and Mary | Christ is the Redeemer; Mary is His most perfect creature | “It’s Jesus OR Mary” | No—it’s **Jesus THROUGH Mary**. He came to us through her; we go to Him the same way |
Summary:
Mary’s titles do not compete with Christ—they glorify Him. Just as the moon reflects the sun, Mary reflects the glory of Jesus. Protestants misunderstand because they’ve lost the connection between Christ and His Mother, and many Catholics now absorb this shame instead of correcting it.
To be embarrassed by Mary is to be embarrassed by the Masterpiece of God’s grace, the Ark of the New Covenant, and the Gate of Heaven. But Scripture, Tradition, and the Saints—from St. Louis de Montfort to St. Alphonsus—testify clearly: “To Jesus through Mary.”
As Fr. Maximilian Kolbe said:
“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”