Why does St. Mary Magdalene need “Rehabilitation” ?
This is a case of long standing, contested identity; the kind that makes Catholic women angry – why has it been necessary to “rehabilitate” St. Mary Magdalene? In a word -- misidentification. (or maybe the better word is Patriarchy, but I digress).
Future Church refers to her as “the most maligned and misunderstood figure in early Christianity. In Christian art and hagiography, she has been romanticized, allegorized and mythologized beyond recognition”. Why did this happen?
the patriarchy of her time…
the contest for leadership and authority in the early church that pitted St. Mary Magdalene against St. Peter…
the problem created by Pope Gregor (in his 591 sermon), when he conflated her with other women
the unnamed “sinner” who anointed Jesus’ feet (Luke: 7:36-50)
Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha who also anointed Jesus (Mary was a popular name at that time)
Constantine legalized Christianity as the legal religion of the empire, and at that time, women’s leadership was frowned upon by Roman code of conduct…
the characterization and introductory description in the bible that she had seven demons cast out by Jesus (Luke 8:1-3) that was misinterpreted that she was some kind of immoral woman (and then labeled as a prostitute in error)
If not for all that, then “rehabilitation” would not have been necessary, and she would have been recognized as the “Apostle to the Apostle” right from the beginning.
Sandra Schneiders tells us that Mary Magdalene was a witness to all of the Paschal Mystery events -- the suffering, the death, the burial, the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus:
Disciple and patron of Jesus’ Galilean ministry
Leader of women disciples who traveled and served with Jesus
he only named disciple who experienced Jesus’ healing power
Faithful presence at the cross
Leader of women at Jesus’ burial and empty tomb
Commissioned to proclaim the resurrection
And now, we are coming to recognize her role in our faith.
In 1969 Pope Paul VI had to clarify that she was not a prostitute. Unfortunately, when he included her commemoration in the list of annual memorials, he did it without a whole lot of publicity; so this action was not widely publicized.
In 1988 Pope John Paul II recognized her as the first person Jesus commissioned to proclaim the resurrection, naming her as Apostle to the Apostles in Mulieris Dignitatem.
In 2016 Pope Francis named July 22 as her Feast Day.
Women of faith and leadership are often erased from history. It’s up to us recognize that this was done, and to ensure that her legacy is celebrated. Thank you to Future Church and Rita Houlihan for telling her story.
Future Church encourages us to advocate for celebrating St. Mary Magdalene’s Easter morning witness. Let us encourage pastors and church ministries to provide “adequate space” in our church programming and liturgies to tell her story and share other women’s stories.
Want more information?
https://futurechurch.org/time-is-now/
https://futurechurch.org/the-seven-primary-roles-of-mary-magdalene-2/
https://futurechurch.org/who-is-mary-magdalene/
Marylee Raymond Diamond, Easter 2026