VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — A new petition is urging Pope Leo XIV to reconsider the doctrinal note that dissuaded the faithful from using the Marian title “Co-Redemptrix.”

On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, renowned Mariologist Fr. Serafino Maria Lanzetta launched an international petition entitled “Filial Appeal to Pope Leo XIV,” requesting that the Holy Father review the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis, issued on November 4 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF). The initiative was prompted by concerns over the document’s judgment regarding the traditional Marian title “Co-Redemptrix,” which it deemed “always inappropriate.”

“It is not a question, as the Note might seem to suggest, of replacing or updating certain titles deemed ambiguous or inopportune, but of cutting away—together with the titles ‘Coredemptrix’ and ‘Mediatrix of all Graces’—the very doctrine these titles embody,” the appeal reads.

The text, one page long and presented by journalist Diane Montagna, is available in six languages, with more translations in preparation. It is a “grassroots initiative” allowing priests and lay faithful to download the letter, sign, and send it directly to the Holy Father at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

Fr. Lanzetta, professor of dogmatic theology and author of numerous studies, explained that the Dicastery’s note adopts a “minimalist view” of the Blessed Virgin Mary and represents “a significant downscaling” compared to the traditional teaching of saints, doctors of the Church, popes, and even the Second Vatican Council.

READ: Top Mariologists condemn Vatican’s discouragement of Co-Redemptrix title

“Indeed, the Catholic truth concerning Mary’s active cooperation in the saving work of her Son appears to be diminished, if not denied outright, as though it could stand in opposition to the sole mediation of Christ, rather than being rooted in it and entirely dependent upon it,” the filial appeal continues.

Mater Populi Fidelis addresses the meaning and use of the Marian titles “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces,” urging that such expressions be interpreted in a manner consistent with the centrality of Christ’s sole mediation. In particular, Mary’s title of “Co-Redemptrix” was described as “always inappropriate,” causing great consternation among many Catholics.

Among the authoritative voices that rose to challenge the soundness of the doctrinal note was that of Fr. Salvatore Perrella, OSM — a professor of dogmatics and Mariology esteemed by Pope Benedict XVI. He made statements to the Swiss outlet RSI in which he criticized the note for its “predominant ecumenical concern.”

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the DDF, clarified in a conversation with journalist Diane Montagna that the designation of the Marian title “Co-Redemptrix” as “always inappropriate” pertains solely to its future use in liturgical texts and official documents of the Holy See, without questioning the legitimacy of the title in the private devotion of the faithful. These remarks came during a November 25 presentation of a doctrinal note on the unity of marriage, Una Caro.

Fr. Lanzetta’s appeal coincided with the public statement issued by the International Marian Association (IMATC). On the very day of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, the Institute’s Theological Commission released a 23-page response to the note, evaluating the DDF’s document in light of the papal magisterium and the Mariological tradition. The response focuses on the titles “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces,” on Mary’s instrumental and secondary roles in the distribution of grace, on the nature of her merit, and on the pastoral implications of diminishing her role in Christ’s redemption of mankind.

The commission asserts that the DDF’s note, by presenting a redemption “based on Jesus alone, devoid of any human redemptive value on Mary’s part,” would appear to align more closely with a Protestant theology of redemption than with Catholic teaching.