Very revealing about how they REALLY feel about Mary. She seems to be placed on an even keel with Jesus in our salvation.
It may APPEAR that way, but appearances can be deceiving. Before jumping to conclusions about what "Catholics Really Believe," I highly recommend you look it up in the Catechism--available for free on-line. Any other source can potentially be in error. 99% of the time, you will find your objection is based on a misunderstanding.
Mary and Intercessory Prayer
As for some Catholics referring to Mary as "Co-Redemtrix," this is NOT an infallible teaching of the Magisterium, although many Catholics have been campaigning that it become recognized as an infallible teaching. It has not happened, and does not look likely. HOWEVER, the Church does NOT condemn anyone of heresy if they do refer to Mary as "Co-Redemptrix." It is still a mystery upon which the Church has not yet ruled one way or the other.
Why? Isn't it obviously heresy? No, it just appears that way on the surface. Here is an excerpt from an article that is clarifying:
Mary Co-Redemptrix
The term "co-redemptrix" is properly translated "the woman with the redeemer" or more literally "she who buys back with [the redeemer]." The prefix "co" comes from the Latin term "cum" which means "with" and not "equal to." Co-redemptrix therefore as applied to Mary refers to her exceptional cooperation with and under her divine son Jesus Christ, in the redemption of the human family, as manifested in Christian Scripture.
With Mary's free and active "fiat" to the invitation of the angel Gabriel to become the mother of Jesus, "Be it done unto me according to your word" (Lk. 1:38), she uniquely cooperated with the work of redemption by giving the divine Redeemer his body, which was the very instrument of human redemption. "We have been sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:10), and the body of Jesus Christ is given to him through the free, active, and unique cooperation of the Virgin Mary. By virtue of giving flesh to the "Word made flesh" (Jn. 1:14), who in turn redeems humanity, the Virgin of Nazareth uniquely merits the title Co-redemptrix. In the words of the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta, "Of course Mary is the Co-redemptrix - she gave Jesus his body, and his body is what saved us." [1]
The New Testament prophecy of Simeon in the temple also reveals the suffering, co-redemptive mission of Mary in direct union with her Redeemer son in their one unified work of redemption: "Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, 'Behold, this child is set for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and will be a sign of contradiction, and a sword shall pierce through your own soul, too" (Lk. 2:34-35).
But the climax of Mary's role as Co-redemptrix under her divine son takes place at the foot of the Cross, where the total suffering of the mother's heart is obediently united to the suffering of the Son's heart in fulfillment of the Father's plan of redemption (cf. Gal. 4:4). As the fruit of this redemptive suffering, Mary is given by the crucified Savior as the spiritual mother of all peoples,: "Woman, behold your son!' Then he said to the disciple, 'behold, your mother!" (Jn. 19:27). As described by Pope John Paul II, Mary was "spiritually crucified with her crucified son" at Calvary, and "her role as Co-redemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son." [2] Even after the accomplishment of the acquisition of the graces of redemption at Calvary, Mary's co-redemptive role continues in the distribution of those saving graces to the hearts of humanity.
The earliest Christian writers and Fathers of the Church explained Marian co-redemption with great profundity in simplicity in the first theological model of Mary as the "New Eve." Essentially, they articulated that as Eve, the first "mother of the living" (Gen. 3:20), was directly instrumental with Adam, the father of the human race, in the loss of grace for all humanity, so too Mary, the "New Eve," was directly instrumental with Jesus Christ, whom St. Paul calls the "New Adam" (Cf. 1 Cor. 15:45-48), in the restoration of grace to all humanity. In the words of 2nd century Church Father, St. Irenaeus: "Just as Eve, wife of Adam, yet still a virgin, became by her disobedience the cause of death for herself and the whole human race, so Mary, too, espoused yet a virgin, became by her obedience the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race." [3]
In light of her unique and direct cooperation with the Redeemer in the restoration of grace for the human family (cf. Gen. 3:15), Mary became universally known in the early Church as the "New Mother of the Living," and her instrumental co-redemption with Christ was well summed up in the succinct expression of 4th century Church Father, St. Jerome: "Death through Eve, life through Mary." [4]
Explicit references to Marian co-redemption as Mary's unique participation with and under Jesus Christ in redeeming or "buying back" humanity from the slavery of Satan and sin is present throughout Christian Tradition. For example, the 7th century Church writer, Modestus of Jerusalem, states that through Mary, we "are redeemed from the tyranny of the devil." [5] St. John Damascene (8th century) greets her: "Hail thou, through whom we are redeemed from the curse." [6] St. Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century) preaches that "through her, man was redeemed." [7] The great Franciscan Doctor, St. Bonaventure (13th century), aptly summarizes Christian Tradition in this teaching: "That woman (namely Eve), drove us out of Paradise and sold us; but this one (Mary) brought us back again and bought us." [8]
Although there was never any question of the total and radical dependency of the Virgin Mary's participation in redemption upon the divine work and merits of Jesus Christ in the minds of the Church fathers and doctors, nonetheless early Christian Tradition did not hesitate to teach and preach the unparalleled intimate participation of the woman, Mary, in the "buying back" or redeeming of the human race from the slavery of Satan. As humanity was sold by a man and a woman, so it was God's will that humanity would be bought back by a Man and a woman.
It is upon this rich Christian foundation that 20th century popes and saints have used the title Co-redemptrix for Mary's unique role in human redemption, as exemplified in the contemporary use of Co-redemptrix for Mary by Pope John Paul II on five occasions during his present pontificate. [9] "Co-redemptrix" as used by the popes means no more that Mary is a goddess equal with Jesus Christ than St. Paul's identification of all Christians as "God's co-workers" (1 Cor. 3:9) means that Christians are gods equal to the one God.
All Christians are rightly called to be co-workers or "co-redeemers" with Jesus Christ (cf. Col. 1:24) in the reception and cooperation with grace necessary for our own redemption and the redemption of others - personal subjective redemption made possible by the historic objective redemption or "buying back" accomplished by Jesus Christ, the "New Adam," the Redemptor, and Mary, the "New Eve," the Co-redemptrix.
The term "co-redemptrix" is properly translated "the woman with the redeemer" or more literally "she who buys back with [the redeemer]." The prefix "co" comes from the Latin term "cum" which means "with" and not "equal to." Co-redemptrix therefore as applied to Mary refers to her exceptional cooperation with and under her divine son Jesus Christ, in the redemption of the human family, as manifested in Christian Scripture.Uh, Mary was NEVER manifested in scripture to be a co-redemtrix...That's an illusion by your religion
Americans know what 'co' represents, in English...AMericans know what Redeemer means, in English...
Then you guys use the term Redemtrix...Then you say co-redemtrix...But you never, ever use the term 'Cum-Redemtrix' as you claim it really is...
Coupled with the fact that so many in your religion have petitioned to have your infallible magisterium turn Mary in to the 4th person of the Trinity, I don't buy your explanation...
And then after looking at some of your Catholic prayers to Mary and even your claims that Mary participates in your salvation, I can see your definition of co-redemtrix is just a smokescreen to those of us outside your religion...
All Christians are rightly called to be co-workers or "co-redeemers" with Jesus Christ (cf. Col. 1:24) in the reception and cooperation with grace necessary for our own redemption and the redemption of others -
Not in my God's Christianity...
Fellow laborers, yes...We plant and water, yes...
But the Harvest, the Redemptions belongs to Jesus and Jesus alone...There's that alone word again...Don't you just hate that...
personal subjective redemption made possible by the historic objective redemption or "buying back" accomplished by Jesus Christ, the "New Adam," the Redemptor, and Mary, the "New Eve," the Co-redemptrix.
the New EVE??? There is no NEW EVE in the Scriptures...God didn't put any emphasis on the 'old' Eve and He certainly never mentioned a new Eve, nor does He ever allude to one...Just more attempts by your religion to elevate Mary to the position of the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven that God warned us about in the OT...