First let me say that a dogma is something the Catholic church teaches and to be Catholic you believe what the Catholic church teaches, so to be Catholic you need to accept the dogmas of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now there are four dogmas that the Catholic church teaches in regards to the Blessed Mother:
1) Her Immaculate Conception, 2) Her Perpetual Virginity, 3) Mother of God and 4) Her Glorious Assumption.
Growing up Catholic, we always had a devotion to the Blessed Mother. It was what traditional Catholics did. We prayed the rosary in the car, during danger, and on walks. We had statues of Mary in our home. We made crafts at school with Mary the focus. It was what we did.
Later in my life due to a lack of catechesis, confusion, curiosity and rebellion, I left the Catholic church and found my self for 12 years in many different protestant churches, anywhere from anabaptist, reformed, restorationists to evangelical. Name a denomination and I at least checked it out.
So when I returned to the Catholic church I just fell right back into Marian devotions. That is what a Catholic does, right, well most Catholics do. I figured if the Catholic church was the one, true Church, and it is, and they said it was okay, it was okay but I didn't really know why. Maybe I knew some. I read Saint Louis de Montforts, True Devotion, which I think I need to pull out and read again. I made a consecration to Jesus through Mary but recently due to some online conversations I felt the need to understand Marian devotion in light of the Catholic church's tradition. So in my search, I have stumbled upon some videos from Franciscan Friars out of Stuebenville University by Mark Miravelle. I found them to be very good in explaining Church doctrine and teaching throughout the history of the Church on why we show honor and devotion to the Blessed Mother, and what the Church has always taught, especially in regards to her titles of Advocate, Mediatrix and co-Redemptrix. I will link the video regarding co-Redemptrix below, since that is how my search began, and then you find there are many more videos.As far as the title co-Redemptrix, that has yet to be proclaimed as an official title, though the teaching is part of the doctrine of the ordinary magisterium, so even though the Church has has yet to give her that title, we still hold to the teachings that she is co-Redemptrix.
And then, when researching I cameme to understand that the Catholic church has always had a devotion to the Blessed Mother, honored her and known her to have a unique role in salvation, such as this quote here from St. Irenaeus, “In the same way, Mary, betrothed to a man but nevertheless still a virgin, being obedient, was made the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race…Thus, the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith.” Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3, 22.
Watching these videos and hearing peoples arguments against Marian devotion I was then sent to different Church documents, I especially searched documents from Vatican II since it seems whenever there are those who are finding devotion to the Blessed Mother difficult they usually call upon anything Vatican II. There are those who see the Church as having started at Vatican II, 1962 and not 33AD. Usually it is the "spirit of Vatican II" speaking through them and not Church teaching. Many times you will hear comments such as, you can't live in the past or you are being nostalgic or the great council teaches... I often wonder if people said the same thing to the apostles. You know, things like, "you can't live in the past. Jesus is gone. You twelve are just being nostalgic" so I knew I had to read the particular document Lumen Gentium in regards to the Blessed Mother and yes this is what I found, "Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. This, however, is to be so understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator" and this "Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was on this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. She presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace."
There is a lot more to the document. That link is below also.
I, also very frequently find Taylor Marshall very informative. I found a post on his blog with Papal quotes and scriptural defenses regarding calling Mary co-Redemptrix.
It seems many times we are quiet about Mary out of fear of offending those who do not know her or understand Marian devotion and her role in everyone's salvation. We should not be offensive to people of course, but if Mary is such an important part of salvation, we should be letting people know who she is. We should be talking more about her and encouraging devotion to her not be quiet out of fear.
Throughout Church history Mary has always brought people closer to Jesus and has never taken anything away from Our Lord. Her goal is to lead us all to God and eternal salvation.
http://taylormarshall.com/2010/03/should-we-call-mary-coredemptrix-part-1.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJxVpx-aN88
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z27PgH0EqE
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
http://www.fraternitypublications.com/trdetoblvima.html
God bless,
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