During a session in the New Synod Hall organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Mexican philosopher and theologian Rodrigo Guerra López presented a profound reflection on the “Mariological recovery of ecclesiology.” Titled ”  Mary of Guadalupe, Mother of the Faithful People ,” the presentation, delivered on December 12, emphasizes how Our Lady of Guadalupe serves as a paradigmatic example of maternal closeness, both in theological reflection and in the evangelizing dynamism of the Church.

Guerra López, PhD in Philosophy from the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein and current Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, began his presentation by recalling the Mariological framework of the Second Vatican Council. He noted that the Council began on October 22, 1962, the day dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, and concluded on December 8, 1965, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. These dates, more than a coincidence, reflect the intrinsic relationship between Mary and the Church: “Mary is the first redeemed by Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit,” he affirmed, citing her fiat as the perfect response to the divine initiative. For the speaker, Mary is not only united to the mystery of the Church, but becomes its “typo,” or perfect model, anticipating in her person what the Church is called to be.

A central point of the talk was the “operative capacity of grace” manifested in Mary. Guerra López explained that, unlike the limited cooperation of humans with grace, Mary represents total openness, becoming the concrete “new Israel”: a person. Quoting Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI), he emphasized that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception expresses the certainty that the holy Church exists “as a person and in a person,” refuting any claim of failure in God’s covenant with Israel.

The theologian criticized the “Mariological deficit” in many contemporary ecclesiological reflections, especially in debates on synodal reform. He recalled the close vote of October 29, 1963, during the Council, where by a narrow margin (50.91% vs. 49.09%) the Marian chapter was incorporated into the Constitution  Lumen Gentium . For Guerra López, ignoring this incorporation weakens the understanding of the mystery of Christ and of the Church as “virgin and mother.” He warned that this deficit is often associated with reforms based on human projects or socio-analytical tools, rather than a deeper understanding of the nature of the Church as the Body of Christ.

Focusing on the personal dimension of Mary, the speaker argued that accepting her as Mother helps us recognize Jesus Christ as a “real brother,” not merely a moral example. Citing St. Augustine against the Pelagians, he emphasized: “This is the horrendous and hidden poison of your error: that you claim the grace of Christ consists in His example and not in the gift of His person.” This, according to Guerra López, prevents moralizing and fosters a Mariological recovery in Christology and ecclesiology.

A key moment was the reference to the doctrinal note  Mater populi fidelis  from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Guerra López expressed his gratitude for this document, which highlights Our Lady of Guadalupe as an example of true motherhood. In paragraphs 43 and 44, it describes how the Virgin appeared to Saint Juan Diego at Tepeyac in 1531, calling to him with maternal tenderness: “Am I not here, I who have the honor of being your mother?” This experience corrects human intellect, which idolizes abstract concepts, and affection, which prefers one’s own plans to God’s. For the speaker, Guadalupe inaugurates an original way of living as the People of God, integrating communion and synodality.

Guerra López concluded by emphasizing that the rule of faith resides in communion, not in experts who challenge the Pope. He quoted a little-known text by Francis: in Guadalupe, the inculturation of the Gospel prioritizes the kerygma over the norm, inaugurating a process of reconciliation and cultural blending in Latin America. “The first evangelization was guided by the power of the Spirit and the maternal protection of Mary,” the Pope affirmed, calling for a global revival of this dynamic.

The presentation, which lasted approximately one hour, evoked the moment when Paul VI proclaimed Mary “Mother of the Church” in 1964. In a context of current theological debates, Guerra López’s words encourage prioritizing popular and simple faith as the norm for theology, avoiding political manipulation of Marian devotions.

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Full text of the presentation:

Mary of Guadalupe, Mother of the faithful people

Rodrigo Guerra López ^*

Pontifical Commission for Latin America New Synod Hall

December 12, 2025

Introduction

Below, we present some brief reflections on the need for the Mariological recovery of ecclesiology and the importance of Mary of Guadalupe as an example of maternal closeness that should encourage both our theological reflection and our evangelizing dynamism

1. The Mariological Framework of the Second Vatican Council and its Ecclesiology

The Second Vatican Council began on October 22, 1962, the day formerly dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, and concluded on December 8, 1965, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. These dates might easily be seen as mere coincidence. However, they possess a profound providential meaning when we consider that Mary, having a particular relationship with Christ, the Son of God, also has a unique relationship with the Church.

Indeed, Mary is the first redeemed by Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. This divine predilection does not negate her freedom. Therefore, we also recognize that, thanks to her  fiat,  the perfect response to God’s initiative shines forth. In this way, Mary, living in full communion with her Son, cannot help but be united to the mystery of the Church.

^Moreover , Mary becomes the perfect image, figure, and model of the Church, for she  anticipates  it in her own person.  In other words, she is that to which we are all called. When we imagine what the Church should be like, how it should be purified, how it needs to be updated, how it must be transformed so that it may bear witness to Christ and proclaim the Kingdom in today’s world, we cannot forget that Mary is the “type” of the Church; that is, Mary is the Church as it should be.

2. Mary and the operational capacity of grace

To avoid making such a statement sounding like a devotional outburst, it’s important to remember that in Mary we can witness the profound depth of salvation through grace. The operative capacity of grace is complete after redemption. When we consider our fragile condition and recall all our struggles, sins, and inconsistencies, it’s fitting that we acknowledge the truth: our cooperation with grace is often minimal. But this is not the case with Mary. She is completely open and willing to allow grace to flood her entire life and transform it.

Thanks to Mary, the new Israel ceases to be an idea whose fulfillment is fundamentally eschatological. With her, the new Israel becomes supremely concrete: it is a person. This means that the “type” of the Church is not a metahistorical beyond but a concrete face: the believing virgin is the true “Daughter of Zion” (Zeph 3:14-17).

Joseph Ratzinger would go so far as to say in this regard:

“The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is an expression of the certainty of faith that the holy Church truly exists as a person and in person. In this sense, it is an expression of the certainty of the Church’s holiness. This also includes the awareness that God’s covenant with Israel did not fail, but became the shoot from which the flower, the Savior, came.” ²

3. The Mariological deficit in ecclesiology

When we examine the history of the Second Vatican Council, this entire approach seems easily refutable. On October 29, 1963, a vote was held on whether the Mariological reflections of the Council Fathers should be published as a separate text or integrated into the Constitution on the Church. The result was quite telling: those in favor of integration received 50.91% of the vote, while those who favored a separate document garnered 49.09%.

Given this, is the relationship between Mary and the Church that of a collective that should be inspired by piety? Should the Virgin be a rhetorical device to conclude messages, exhortations, and homilies? Was it a mistake to link the Virgin Mary so deeply with the rest of the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council? Does recognizing Mary as “Mother of the Church” stem more from a certain sentimentality or a devotional metaphor?

When we look at some robust ecclesiological reflections, for example, on the occasion of the necessary synodal reform of the Church, and discover their scant reference to Mary, practically as if chapter VIII of the Constitution “Lumen Gentium” did not exist, it would seem that the answer to the previous questions formulated should be affirmative.

However, when we consider the profound interrelationship between Mariology, Christology, and Ecclesiology, things take on a new perspective. Mary’s presence is not merely devotional or rhetorical, but deeply theological. Without recourse to Mary, both the mystery of Christ, true God and true man, and the mystery of the Church, virgin and mother, are weakened.

In fact, it seems to me that the Mariological deficit in ecclesiological reflections is sometimes accompanied by an implicit, and at times explicit, desire to introduce organizational reforms and ministerial redistributions that respond  more  to our projects, our socio-analytical tools, and our philosophical and cultural convictions  than  to a deepening of the nature of the Church as a body of

Christ, who will always be more than the sum of his members or his communities.

4. The personal dimension of the Virgin Mary

Let me try to say this in another way: the wonderful thing about welcoming Mary as Mother is that it helps me recognize Jesus Christ as a  real brother  , not merely a metaphorical one. In other words, it helps me recognize Jesus Christ as a close, familiar Person, and not just as a moral example to follow.

The words that Saint Augustine addressed to the Pelagians could not be more pertinent to clarify the direction of my reflections:

“This is the horrendous and hidden poison of your error: that you claim the grace of Christ consists in His example and not in the gift of His person.” ³

Returning to the questions I dared to formulate above, I have the impression that a Mariological recovery of ecclesiology and Christology can help us avoid falling into tense or cunning moralisms.

Moreover, I believe that the assessment that Saint Paul VI made of Mary at the closing of the Third Session of the Council can motivate us to reconsider things:

“It is the first time —and saying this fills our hearts with deep emotion— that an Ecumenical Council has presented such an extensive synthesis of Catholic doctrine on the place that Mary Most Holy occupies in the mystery of Christ and the Church.

This corresponds to the goal that the Council has set for itself: to manifest the face of the Holy Church, to which Mary is intimately united, and of which, as has been eminently affirmed, she is “the greater part, the better part, the principal and most select part” (Rupert,  In Apocalipsis , 1, VII, chap. 12; PL 169, 10.434).

In truth, the reality of the Church is not exhausted by its hierarchical structure, its liturgy, its sacraments, or its legal ordinances. Its innermost essence, the principal source of its sanctifying efficacy, must be sought in its mystical union with Christ; a union that we cannot conceive of apart from her who is the Mother of the Incarnate Word, and whom Christ himself willed to be so intimately united to himself for our salvation. Thus, the loving contemplation of the wonders that God has worked in his Holy Mother must be framed within the vision of the Church. And knowledge of the true Catholic doctrine on Mary will always be the key to the accurate understanding of the mystery of Christ and of the Church.” ⁴

A few minutes later, Pope Montini would say in that address:

“Therefore, for the glory of the Virgin and our consolation, We proclaim Mary Most Holy Mother of the Church, that is, Mother of all the people of God.”

Upon finishing saying this, the council fathers unanimously stood up spontaneously and gave a long round of applause.

5. Mary of Guadalupe in “Mater populi fidelis”

For these reasons, I can only express my gratitude for the recent doctrinal note  “Mater populi fidelis”  from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. ⁵

The controversies surrounding this act of ordinary Magisterium, I believe, have at times obscured some essential issues. Unfortunately, examining the text from the perspective of the criticisms and objections presented is not possible at this time. What does deserve attention, however, is that at the heart of the exposition, precisely when explaining that Mary is truly the “mother of believers,” the Dicastery offers two paragraphs dedicated to highlighting how Mary makes herself present in the real lives of the People of God. These paragraphs offer, as an eloquent example of this closeness, the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Saint Juan Diego at Tepeyac.

Paragraph 43 reads as follows:

“The presence of the various Marian advocations, images, and shrines manifests Mary’s real motherhood, which draws her close to the lives of her children. The apparition of the Mother to the indigenous Saint Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill serves as an example. Mary calls him with the tender words of a mother: ‘My littlest son, my Juanito.’ And, faced with the difficulties Saint Juan Diego expresses in carrying out the mission entrusted to him, Mary reveals the strength of her motherhood: ‘Am I not here, I who have the honor of being your mother? […] Are you not in my lap, in the embrace of my arms?’”

These words do not seek to unilaterally emphasize a particular emotional or devotional moment, but rather to show that Our Lady of Guadalupe proclaims the “true God for whom we live,” through the concrete closeness of an encounter. This encounter is an experience of real motherhood for the faithful.

Indeed, Saint Juan Diego was a marginalized indigenous man, converted around 1524, that is, at the age of 50. In December 1531, he received the Virgin’s commission to deliver “good news” to the bishop. But just as Juan Diego tried to avoid meeting Mary, to go and do something objectively good, but outside of God’s plan, the Virgin intercepted him and showed him, with a few words, the profound experience of an unexpected motherhood, allowing his life to be permanently embraced by the certainty of a heavenly embrace.

This beautiful experience is not only a great comfort but also corrects our intelligence, so prone to idolizing conceptual elaborations, and corrects our affection, so prone to preferring our own project over God’s plan.

In this way, Our Lady of Guadalupe becomes a method, a path to discovering that Christianity is not an abstract theorization or a mere moral imperative, but rather the gradual deepening of a personal relationship that, while accompanying, also sends forth and sets in motion. Juan Diego sets himself “on the move” when he goes to evangelize the bishop, and then, without hesitation, accepts the prelate’s instruction when he asks for a “sign.” Thus, at Tepeyac, Mary is the root or origin of the emergence of an original way of experiencing being the People of God. Mary, Mother of the believer, introduces him to a dynamic in which communion and synodality are realized simultaneously.

Paragraph 44 of the doctrinal note continues to state:

“That experience of Mary’s maternal affection, which Saint Juan Diego experienced, is the personal experience of Christians who receive Mary’s affection and who place in her hands ‘the needs of daily life and confidently open their hearts to ask for her maternal intercession and obtain her reassuring protection.’ Beyond the extraordinary manifestations of her closeness, there are constant, everyday expressions of her motherhood in the lives of all her children. Even when we do not ask for her intercession, she shows herself close as a Mother, to help us recognize the Father’s love, to contemplate Christ’s saving sacrifice, to welcome the sanctifying action of the Spirit. Her value to the Church is so great that pastors must avoid any political exploitation of this closeness of the Mother. Pope Francis has warned of this on several occasions and expressed his concern about ‘proposals of various ideological and cultural stripes that seek to appropriate the encounter of a people with their mother.’”

As we can see in this second text, the document invites us to recognize that She draws near, even when we often don’t seek Her. She anticipates our needs, so to speak, offering us an experience of encounter with God, which is a communion of Persons. This event is so delicate and important that it prudently notes Pope Francis’s exhortation that neither Her image nor Her message be politically manipulated.

Why does the doctrinal note present us with this example? I believe it largely stems from the need to recover the awareness that the simple, popular life of faith takes precedence over reflective discourse, however erudite it may be. The faith of ordinary people is not a diluted theology tailored to us, the lay faithful, nor a kind of generous and pious concession to the lack of education of those who haven’t studied at a prestigious theological faculty. The relationship is precisely the reverse: the intimate and affectionate proclamation of the Gospel through Mary is the measure and standard for theological inquiry, not the other way around.

6. The rule of faith is found in communion

In an age so dominated by the pronouncements of self-proclaimed or actual experts who publicly or privately challenge the Pope, the rule of faith is not constituted by the most sophisticated historical-critical research, but rather by the intelligent interpretation of revealed truth practiced in communion. This communion is with the legitimate pastors and with the People of God who live the experience of faith through the theological action that God accomplishes through popular piety, the many forms of communion with Mary, and the simplest, yet no less profound, sacramental practice.

I will conclude with a little-known text by Pope Francis:

“In the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and in the dialogues she held with Saint Juan Diego, recorded in the  Nican Mopohua,  there is no threatening message, no condemnation whatsoever. Everything is tenderness, mercy, and welcome. Thus, the “inculturation of the Gospel” in the Americas begins through a pedagogy that prioritizes the kerygma over the rule, encounter over conflict, and the embrace of all that is holy and true in pre-Hispanic religiosity. It is not the logic of the sword but that of the Incarnation (only what is assumed is redeemed, as Saint Irenaeus said) that inaugurates a process of social reconciliation and eventual mestizaje, not only between races but also between cultures that nourish one another and give rise to a new synthesis: popular, mestizo, baroque, and Christian.”

The Guadalupe event inaugurated a process that would later expand through various Marian devotions, from the Rio Grande to Patagonia. Latin America would be evangelized by men and women of faith who, under the Virgin’s protection, took risks and experimented, advanced and learned. A “Church on the move,” we would say today. The first evangelization of Latin America was guided, more than by a strategic plan, by the power of the Spirit, and safeguarded by Mary’s maternal protection. Thanks to the open hearts of the first missionaries, the Church did not remain stunned or lethargic in the face of the brand-new cultural challenges posed by the “new world,” but rather resolutely embraced the enduring newness of the Gospel, its capacity to surprise us all, and its fruitfulness in generating new realities. In the current context, with forms and methods perhaps never before seen, this dynamic is called to be lived not only in Latin America but throughout the world.⁶ 

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¹  Cf. SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, Constitution  Lumen Gentium,  Chapter VIII

²  J. RATZINGER – BENEDICT XVI,  The Daughter of Zion , Saint John Publications – Balthasar&Speyr.org, p. 68. Online publication:  https://balthasarspeyr.org/es/publicaciones/libros/la-hija-de-sion

³  SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPONA,  Contra Iulanium , Opus imperfectum.

⁴  SAINT PAUL VI, “Address at the Closing of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council”, November 21, 1964.

⁵  DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, “Mater populi fidelis. Doctrinal note on some Marian titles referring to Mary’s cooperation in the work of salvation.”

⁶  POPE FRANCIS, “Rethinking the paths of peoples and their cultures”, Introduction to R. BUTTIGLIONE,

Paths  to  a  theology  of the people  and  of  culture  , Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, 2022