“O Mother of God, [none] attains salvation except through thee”

Why is it logically and theologically correct to say that salvation is attained through Mary?

By Deacon Frederick Bartels
13 February 2025

The flowery prayer language Catholics use to give the Virgin Mary the highest veneration and honor—expressing their love for her—is often taken to be blasphemous idolatry by Protestant Christian ears.

One such person on X wrote in reply to this language: “Any church that supports this vile adultery is no church at all but a haven for satanists.”

Well … that’s a nice, measured response!

Anyway, the language the Church uses to express its beliefs about Mary is not merely “flowery prayer language.” It entails logically and theologically correct expressions of the reality of her position and role in the economy of salvation.

The quote in the title of this piece is taken from Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on the Rosary, Adiutricem. Here’s the full quote:

O Virgin most holy, none abounds in the knowledge of God except through thee; none, O Mother of God, attains salvation except through thee; none receives a gift from the throne of mercy except through thee. (Adiutricem, 9)

How can we make sense of stuff like this? Do Catholics actually think that Mary is our savior, as is often claimed? Are we idolizing Mary? Nope. Let’s begin with our belief in Christ as Savior.

Catholics believe that Christ is the one and only unique Savior of mankind. By virtue of his death and resurrection he has expiated mankind’s sin: “[Jesus] is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). And, as St. Peter puts it, “[T]here is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Jesus alone is the Savior. But how, then, can we say that “[N]one, O Mother of God, attains salvation except through thee”? Pope Leo XIII explains why in Adiutricem, in the same paragraph but just prior to the quote given above:

Since faith is the foundation, the source, of the gifts of God by which man is raised above the order of nature and is endowed with the dispositions requisite for life eternal, we are in justice bound to recognize the hidden influence of Mary in obtaining the gift of faith and its salutary cultivation—of Mary who brought the “author of faith” into this world and who, because of her own great faith, was called “blessed.” (Adiutricem, 9)

In simple terms, Mary brought salvation into the world by conceiving in her womb, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word made flesh, and giving birth to Jesus Christ in the little village of Bethlehem.

Although Jesus is the one and only Savior, Mary is uniquely instrumental in bringing his salvation into the world as his mother, as the Mother of God. It is therefore technically and logically correct to say that salvation is obtained through Mary, as long as it is understood that she is the irreplaceably unique instrument God employed to bring the “author of faith” and the Savior of mankind into the world.

Further, Protestant Christians have to (or should) admit there are many ways of speaking about “being saved” that are not in any way idolatrous or contradictory to the Christian faith. For example, suppose Jim introduces Suzan to Christ and the saving gospel, and she comes to faith in Jesus. Consequently, Suzan might say, “Jim saved me!” Obviously, this is non-literal, metaphorical language expressing the fact that Jim was instrumental in Suzan’s salvation.

Who would listen to such an exchange and shout “Idolater!”?

The example of Jim and Suzan is analogous (but not identical) to the way the Church speaks about Mary. While anti-Catholics on social media are quick to jump to rash conclusions, it doesn’t take much thought to see the logic in the Church’s position. One has to wonder what is driving their bias and vitriol. Is it simple ignorance? Or is it something else?

Catholics do not look on the sweet Virgin as our Savior. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why we honor Mary and speak about her the way we do—and it’s logically and theologically sound. To do anything less is to fail to see the reality of Mary’s position and role in the economy of salvation, which, unfortunately, often ends in dishonoring her and, at the same time, dishonoring the plan of God.