Bethany], we believe to be the Mary from beautiful example: a woman who found new Who Was Mary whom seven devils were ejected according life in , not a woman who found a self- to Mark" ( on the ). St. empowered political agenda. Frankly, more Magdalene? , the repentant sinner, who people ought to spend their time reading the Fr. William P. Saunders, PhD found both forgiveness and friendship with , the fathers of the Church and the our Lord, who stood faithfully at the foot of Catechism instead of such bogus print as I had a discussion with a friend of mine the cross, and who saw the risen Lord, is a The Da Vinci Code. who read The Da Vinci Code who said powerful example for each believer. that St. Mary Magdalene was neither a

Copyright © Arlington Catholic Herald, sinner nor a prostitute. Instead the As far as The Da Vinci Code is concerned, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with Church made up that story to discredit what one cannot construe is some of the permission. Printed with ecclesiastical her. What can I say to her? misconceptions they erroneously present: for approval. instance, that Mary Magdalene was the wife Controversy over the identity of St. Mary of , the mother of Jesus’ child, a The Evangelization Station Magdalene has continued since the early participant at the Last Supper, His prophetic Hudson, Florida, USA Church. In the Gospels, there are three successor and a priestess. Such conclusions, E-mail: [email protected] particular "characters" involved in the despite the best efforts of historical www.evangelizationstation.com controversy: Mary Magdalene, a follower of revisionists who distort the to meet our Lord (Jn 20:11-18); the anonymous their political objectives, have no foundation Pamphlet 372 penitent woman (Lk 7:36-50); and Mary of in sacred Scripture, sacred tradition or , the sister of and Lazarus factual history. (Lk 10:38-42). In the West, particularly

since the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, While the revisionists cite the "Gnostic the three characters have all been identified gospels," these were rejected from the as St. Mary Magdalene. However, in the official canon of sacred Scripture because East, the three characters have remained they lacked apostolic authorship, were separate, with St. Mary Magdalene and "St. heretical and contained fictitious stories. Mary of Bethany" having separate feast One cannot counter Church tradition with days. St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. spurious evidence from the Gnostic gospels. Augustine, St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas all refrained from making Lastly, the book cites several individuals a final decision. who have accused the Church of "a smear campaign" to discredit Mary Magdalene so So, why would Pope St. Gregory fuse the as to disempower a powerful woman. Oh three "characters" together? First, we need please! What greater honor could the Church to examine the specific references to the grant than by recognizing Mary Magdalene woman named "Mary Magdalene" recorded as a and a model for every sincere in the Gospels. She was one of the women Christian who struggles for holiness? Pope who accompanied Jesus and the Apostles: St. Gregory realized Mary Magdalene’s "The Twelve accompanied Him, and also the declaration of forgiveness in the seventh Mary of Bethany, the Gospel of St. John some women who had been cured of evil chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, Mary helps resolve the issue. In :1-11, spirits and maladies: Mary called the Magdalene is mentioned by name as a Jesus arrived at Bethany, "the village of Magdalene, from whom seven devils had follower of Jesus and identified as the one Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s "from whom seven devils had gone out" (Lk dead." Martha served a meal. Mary anointed steward Chuza, , and many others 9:1-3). Keep in mind that Magdalene is our Lord’s feet with perfume and dried his who were assisting them out of their means" derived from Magdala. Magdala, located feet with her hair. Keep in mind this is a (Lk 8:1-3). (The Gospel of St. Mark along the Sea of near Tiberias, was a different scene than the by the confirms that our Lord had expelled seven wealthy city known for its prosperous penitent woman in the home of Simon the demons from Mary Magdalene (16:9).) fisheries. The Romans destroyed the town Pharisee in ; nevertheless, the same because of its moral depravity and its kind of action in both scenes helps suggests Mary Magdalene also stood at the foot of the participation in the Jewish revolt. the same actor, namely Mary Magdalene. cross during the crucifixion (confer Mk Interestingly, in the Talmud, from the word 15:40, Mt 27:56 and Jn 19:25). She also Magdalene is derived the expression Moreover, in , the earlier scene witnessed Christ’s burial, and on was "curling women’s hair," which means where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the first to discover the and then "adulteress." Even though the penitent the Gospel reads, "There was a certain man the first to see the risen Lord (confer Jn woman of Luke 7 is not specifically named Lazarus who was sick. He was from 20:1-18). identified as the Mary Magdalene "from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister whom seven devils had gone out" of , Martha. This Mary whose brother Lazarus Given the specific references to "Mary one could easily draw the conclusion, as did was sick was the one who anointed the Lord Magdalene," the second step is to examine Pope St. Gregory. Moreover, the early with perfume and dried His feet with her whether Mary Magdalene may also be the Church tradition has also upheld this hair" (Jn 11:1-2). Here Mary is identified as penitent woman found in the Gospel of St. connection. "the one who anointed the Lord." While Luke (7:36-50). Remember the penitent some speculate that this identification in woman entered the home of Simon the The third and more difficult step to the John 11 refers to the subsequent anointing in Pharisee. She wept, and her tears fell upon investigation is to see if Mary Magdalene John 12, why would John need to make such our Lord’s feet. She anointed His feet with could indeed be Mary of Bethany. a reference when the story of John 11 flows perfumed oil and dried them with her hair. Following Luke 8, the gospel in the ninth right into the story of John 12? More likely, said to himself, "If this and 10th chapters relates such stories as the the identification refers to a previous action, man were a prophet, He would know who miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, namely the story at the home of Simon the and what sort of woman this is that touches the Transfiguration, the exorcism of a Pharisee. Him — that she is a sinner," an obvious possessed boy and teachings about reference to her being "untouchable" discipleship. Our Lord then traveled to "a If this argument holds, then Mary because of such a serious sin as adultery, village" (i.e. Bethany, although not specified Magdalene, the penitent woman, and Mary fornication, or promiscuity. In the end, Jesus by Luke) to the home of Martha, who "had a of Bethany are the same. Granted, we are forgives the penitent woman. sister named Mary" (confer Lk 10:38-42). still left with a little mystery. Nevertheless, I There Martha prepared a meal for our Lord. personally agree with Pope St. Gregory, who This scene is part of Jesus’ ministry in the While the Gospel of St. Luke does not concluded, "She whom Luke calls the sinful area of the Sea of Galilee. Also, right after specifically identify Mary Magdalene with woman, whom John calls Mary [of