Mary Magdalene - Saint or Sinner?

By Chris Browne

Mary Magdalene- Saint or Sinner?

• Mary Magdalene came from a small village called Magdala on the shore of the sea of Galilee

• She was a leading follower of Jesus

• According to all four Gospels and the writings of Peter, Mary Magdalene was at the crucifixion and visited the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday. She was a key person on these important occasions.

• According John’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared

• A tradition that Mary Magdalene was the sinner mentioned in the gospels has developed over the centuries. She has been depicted as a whore and prostitute in well known art works by famous artists. The Musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar'' cast Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. The Lady Gaga song ‘Judas’ has also portrayed Mary Magdalene as a whore. There is absolutely no basis for this in the Gospels

• It was Pope Gregory in 591 AD who suggested that Mary Magdalene was the Mary at Simon the Pharisees house who he referred to as a sinner. Pope Gregory also suggested that Mary’s seven demons were really the seven deadly sins.

• The Gospels and disciples describe Mary Magdalene as a devout follower of Jesus.

• In Luke 8 we discover that Jesus had driven seven demons out of Mary Magdalene

• Luke 8 also tells us that Mary Magdalene travelled with Jesus and supported his ministry. We are also told by Luke that Mary supported Jesus out of her resources and so it would seem that she was a wealthy woman. Joanna, wife of Chuza who was the steward of Herod Antipas and Susanna also supported Jesus. Luke suggests that Joanna and Susanna may also have been healed by Jesus.

• The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Mary Magdalene on 22nd of July and in 1969 it proclaimed that this was the Mary who was at the resurrection of Jesus and not Pope Gregory's Mary of ill repute.