Women's leadership in the Church

In May, the first-ever deaconess was ordained in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Less than two weeks ago, the Vatican held a press conference announcing that the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith is creating a document about women's leadership roles.

And in preparation for October's meeting of the synod on synodality, the instrumentum laboris was also released, including a pointed remark about the question of the female diaconate:

"While some local Churches call for women to be admitted to the diaconal ministry, others reiterate their opposition. On this issue ... it is good that theological reflection should continue, on an appropriate timescale and in the appropriate ways."

Some have argued (understandably) that this comment reflects "delays, deferrals, further reflections, unpublished reports — while the platitudinous waffle about women's charisms and gifts drones on year after year."

As a professor at a Catholic university who was raised in the Episcopal Church, I read the situation a bit differently: I suspect that the dicastery does not know exactly what to do.

Its leaders realise that the question of the role of women is urgent, but they are worried that a schism could result if women are ordained as deacons.

The Gospel and Mary Magdalene

As the dicastery considers the possibilities, I suggest there is an avenue it hasn't looked at yet.

From my expertise in manuscripts of the Gospels, I'm interested in the possibility that the Gospel of John provides a blueprint for women's roles in pastoral care and ministry, particularly in its characterisation of Mary Magdalene.

This sacred text may contain unique and surprising theological resources that are urgently needed in our time.

Throughout the history of the Church, people have always wondered whether Lazarus' sister Mary is the same woman as Mary Magdalene.

Several years ago, I published a study of previously overlooked manuscript variants in the story of Lazarus, and came to the conclusion that Martha, a character from Luke, might have been editorially added to this story to diminish Mary's importance (click here to see the argument in full).

Incredibly, by combining real readings from just three of the world's most important Gospel manuscripts, John 11:1-5 can be fully and sensibly reconstructed without Martha:

1 There was a certain sick man, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary his sister.
2 Now this was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 Therefore Mary sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, the one you love is sick."
4 But when Jesus heard he said to her, "The sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son may be glorified through it."
5 Now Jesus loved Lazarus and his sister.

Martha's presence is also inconsistent in ancient artwork, as well as in the writings of Church fathers; around 210 CE, Tertullian even stated that Mary was the Christological confessor of John 11:27!

The obvious textual parallels between the Lazarus story and Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus imply that Mary of Bethany would more likely be identifiable as Mary Magdalene if Martha were not present in John.

If Martha were not present, Mary (Magdalene?) would perform five crucial ministries throughout the second half of the Gospel of John.

The Magnified One

In a 2021 study I co-authored with professor Joan Taylor, we also demonstrated that the word "Magdalene" does not necessarily reference Mary's hometown; it could just as well be an honorific title referencing Mary as "the magnified one" or "the Tower-ess."

So, why would somebody add Martha to John's Gospel?

This theorised editorial change would have ensured that in this Gospel, the woman confessing Jesus as the Christ (John 11:27) cannot be understood to be the first person to whom the risen Jesus appears (John 20:11-18).

If Martha were not present, Mary (Magdalene?) would perform five crucial ministries throughout the second half of John:

1. Confessing Jesus as the Christ (John 11:27);
2. Serving (diakonei) the supper (John 12:2);
3. Anointing Jesus for burial (John 11:2, 12:3);
4. Witnessing his death and resurrection (John 19:25, 20:1, 11-17);
5. Proclaiming the Resurrection (John 20:18).

The Marian Ministry

Historian Diana Butler Bass argues that these five roles can be understood as a model for "Marian ministry," and through them we may be able to recover something of the evangelist's original vision for women.

She and I have already submitted this proposal for the synod's consideration.

The concerns of theologians like Cardinal Raymond Burke are understandable, who worry that "a revolution is at work to change radically the Church's self-understanding, in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the Church has always taught and practiced."

But this is not only a contemporary conversation; there are dozens of examples of women deacons in antiquity. Read more

• Elizabeth Schrader Polczer is assistant professor of New Testament at Villanova University. She holds a doctorate in early Christianity from Duke University, with a focus on textual criticism, Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of John.

Mary Magdalene's image gets a new look in the modern age, now seen as a strong, independent woman.

If there's a feminist figure from the Bible for the #MeToo era, it could very well be Mary Magdalene.

The major character in the life of Jesus was long maligned in the West and portrayed as a reformed former prostitute.

But scholars have adopted a different approach more recently, viewing her as a strong, independent woman who supported Jesus financially and spiritually.

The New Testament tells how Jesus cast demons out of her.

She then accompanied Jesus in his ministry around the Galilee, before witnessing his crucifixion, burial and resurrection in Jerusalem, which is being commemorated by Christians this week and next.

The Roman Catholic Church and Western Christian churches observe Easter on Sunday, Eastern Orthodox Christians a week later.

Pope Francis took the biggest step yet to rehabilitate Mary Magdalene's image by declaring a major feast day in her honor, July 22.

His 2016 decree put the woman who first proclaimed Jesus' resurrection on par with the liturgical celebrations of the male apostles.

"By doing this, he established the absolute equality of Mary Magdalene to the apostles, something that has never been done before and is also a point of no return" for women in the church, said Lucetta Scarrafia, editor of the Vatican-published Women Church World monthly magazine.

For centuries, Western Christianity depicted Mary Magdalene as a former prostitute, a narrative that began in the sixth century.

Pope Gregory the Great conflated Magdalene with an anonymous sinful woman mentioned in the chapter before she's introduced in the Gospel of Luke.

Only in 1969 did the Catholic Church roll back centuries of labeling Mary Magdalene as such, stating she was distinct from the sinful woman mentioned in Luke.

Eastern Orthodox Christians never depicted her as a prostitute.

Mary Magdalene was from a thriving fishing village on the Sea of Galilee named Magdala, which has been excavated extensively by archaeologists in recent decades.

The site is home to the oldest known synagogue in the Galilee, where a stone bearing the likeness of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was found, as well as a marketplace, ritual baths and fishing harbor. Marcela Zapata-Meza, the lead archaeologist at the site, has called it "the Israeli Pompeii."

Modern scholars have adopted a different understanding of Mary Magdalene, and regard her as one of Jesus' most prominent disciples, who stood by him to the end while his most devoted apostles did not.

"Historical tradition says she was a prostitute from Magdala," said Jennifer Ristine, director of the Magdalena Institute at Magdala.

"Reanalyzing that reputation that she had we can see she was probably a woman of greater social status, higher social status, a woman of wealth who accompanied Jesus as we see in Luke 8:2, helping Jesus and his disciples with her own resources."

Nonetheless, the image of Mary Magdalene as a licentious, sexualized woman has persisted in Western culture, including in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Da Vinci Code."

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister, said Mary Magdalene's reputation was sullied by her depiction in art over the centuries.

"Art history made her become a prostitute, which is something that is not present in the Gospels," he said, adding that she also has been portrayed as Jesus' wife.

"It is important to find the real face of Mary Magdalene, who is a woman who represents the importance of the female aspect on the side of Christ," he told The Associated Press at the Vatican.

The Gospel of Mary, an early Christian text, depicted her as a visionary who received secret revelations and knowledge from Jesus. Continue reading

He says he has a deep affection for New Zealand.

"I've got the time to enjoy the process of releasing this movie, so I'm going to enjoy being able to talk to actors, the public and guilds there.

"I wouldn't mind having an extra day to drive around the North Island though, it's an area I haven't explored yet."

Davis says he has been helped immensely by the support of the movie's acting coach - New Zealander Miranda Harcourt.

And Harcourt isn't his only connection to New Zealand.

He has a New Zealand-born wife, and Jane Campion helped give him his big break as a commercial director.

She asked if he would be interested in doing the TV series Top of the Lake.

"I read it and loved it, I just really related to it. Then we spoke about the project as a family and decided it could be really great, plus we'd get to move to New Zealand, which we love".

Mary Magdalene stars Rooney Mara as Magdalene and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus.

This movie might help clear the name of one of the most misrepresented figures in history.

A lot of people think Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.

But there is no reference anywhere in the Bible to Mary Magdalene ever being a prostitute.

There is no reference to her even being a sinner.

The only suggestion that Mary Magdalene was anything other than wholly virtuous is in the Gospels of Luke and Mark where Jesus is referred to as ridding her of "seven demons".

And many scholars believe the latter wasn't even in the original text but was added sometime in the second century.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• express.co.uk
• Image: ew.com

Day after day I watched people leave with smiles and joy-filled hearts. One day a new volunteer asked me: "How would you sum up Magdala?" In a split second my mind raced through all the marketing brand messages:

• Magdala is a crossroads of Jewish and Christian history;
• You get to walk where Jesus taught;
• Magdala is a premiere catalyst for worldwide reconciliation and renewal;
• We offer a 1st-century Galilee experience in a welcoming 21st-century environment;
• Our core purpose is to highlight the historical, cultural, and spiritual significance of Magdala, revealing how Jesus engages people and transforms lives.

All of this can describe Magdala, but none of it came out of my mouth. Instead one word slipped out: "Encounter." Magdala is a place of encounter.

There is so much behind that word.

In the two years of welcoming visitors to Magdala (for what is normally a quick hour-long visit), I have encountered people from many walks of life: Jewish senior citizens, Methodist seminarians, Catholic church groups, Jewish youth coming to learn about Israel, Arab Christian families coming for a tour with their church, Baptist pastors, Jewish and Christian women studying women in the Bible, Evangelicals, Mormons, students of art history, archaeology, Old and New Testament, some believing in Jesus and others not.

Yet all come face to face with rich treasures found in a 1st-century Jewish town. Just as you enter the site, you find the evidence. Behold: on one side of the once booming marketplace (thanks to the salted fishing industry), one finds a 1st-century synagogue. Inside the synagogue rests the Magdala stone, boasting of the oldest carved menorah found in a public place.

On the other side of the marketplace, two wealthy villas include four Jewish purification baths unique to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Continue reading

Sources

• Catholic Herald, an article by Jennifer Ristine, director of the Magdalena Institute.
• Image: Shalom Holy Tours

In a conference at a Colombian university, Bishop Juan Vicente Córdoba of Fontibón said there is no explicit rejection of homosexuality in the Bible.

"We don't know if one of Jesus' disciples" had a same-sex orientation, he said.

"We don't know either if Mary Magdalene was a lesbian."

Bishop Córdoba said parts of the New Testament might suggest otherwise, as far as Mary Magdalene is concerned, but "we don't know".

According to a report in Crux, Colombia is currently debating same-sex marriage and adoption rights.

Bishop Cordoba, who heads the Colombian Episcopal Conference's Commission on Life, told the conference the Catholic Church does not oppose same-sex couples making a life together.

He also said that: "No one chooses to be gay or straight - one simply feels, loves, experiments, is attracted, and no attraction is bad".

During the conference, he reportedly also used a pejorative term in Spanish for a gay man, which some in the audience found offensive.

The next day he apologised for his "unfortunate colloquial expressions".

Bishop Córdoba stated that his words were not intended to modify the "solid and unchangeable moral position of the Church".

Rather, they were to express respect in a gathering which, according to the prelate, was mostly composed of leaders and members of the LGBT community.

He said in a clarification published by the Colombian Bishops' Conference: "Even if homosexuality as an inclination doesn't constitute a sin, it's regarded as a disordered conduct."

The bishop stated he only used colloquial expressions because of the academic and dialogic context of the encounter, adding that they had no theological or moral value.

At the conference, Bishop Córdoba reiterated Church teaching that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, permanent, and open to children.

He also said that children have the right to be raised by a mother and a father.

Sources

• Crux
• Crux
• Daily Mail
• Image: Imagejuicy

The booklet, promoting a pilgrimage centre in the Holy Land, was written by Legionary priest Fr Juan Solana.

When the level of offense taken at the comparison between the saint and Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado was pointed out to him, Fr Solana issued an apology.

"The passages in question suggest a comparison between Mary Magdalene and Legion founder Marcial Maciel, which clearly is inappropriate and poorly chosen," he wrote.

"I was trying to make a point about compassion and forgiveness in light of the Legion's history, but realise now that my words were awkward and suggest a reverence for our founder that we clearly reject. Again, I'm sorry for any hurt this has caused," he said.

Fr Solana added that the Legion will cease distributing the booklet containing the reflection in question.

Continue reading

The conservative order's founder, Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, was a sexual predator, abusing young seminarians and living a double life that included fathering three children by two women from Mexico.

He was dismissed from ministry by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and died in 2008.

In an article in the National Catholic Reporter, investigative journalist Jason Berry wrote that the order has shifted its fundraising focus to Holy Land pilgrimages.

It has started a major fundraising drive for its Magdala Center at the Sea of Galilee and has raised US$40 million out of its US$100 million target.

The complex, with newly discovered ruins of a synagogue Jesus may have visited, will contain an archaeological park, women's institute, media centre and a luxury hotel the Legion will own.

A booklet intended to promote the new centre, Magdala: God Really Loves Women, shows the posthumous hold Fr Marcial still holds over the order, despite attempts at reform, Berry wrote.

Legionary priest Fr Juan Maria Solana, who heads the Magdala project, wrote the following statement in the booklet.

"Marcial Maciel's initials are also MM, just like Mary Magdalene. She had a problematic past before her deliverance, so there's a parallel. Our world has double standards when it comes to morals. Some people have a formal, public display and then the real life they live behind the scenes.

"But when we accuse someone else and we are quick to stone him, we must remember that we all have problems and defects. With modern communications so out of control, it is easy to kill someone's reputation without even investigating about the truth. We should be quieter and less condemning."

Berry wrote the Legion has had a fire sale of assets elsewhere as donors have dried up.

In 2009, the order admitted Marcial's wrongdoings.

The Legion has yet to receive approval from Pope Francis for reworked constitutions, which were submitted to the Pope months ago.

Commonweal associate editor Mollie Watson O'Reilly wrote that the portrayal of Mary Magdalene as associated with sexual sin is "an error in scriptural interpretation . . . helped along by a misogynistic tendency to associate women with sexual sin".

Mary Magdalene should be seen as the Apostle to the Apostles, the first witness to the Resurrection, she wrote.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Commonweal blog
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

Do you sometimes wonder if things have changed?

I don't think they have.

Men are careful. Men are circumspect. Men, after all, have their careers to consider.

Women just do it.

That could be a reason Jesus did not name women as Apostles, or at least why the women who were there did not bother with the title. The women were not interested in advancement or having their names remembered. They were simply doing.

What did the men want? Power? Authority? They preached the message, it is true, but they also jockeyed with each other for position. And who could forget the one who sold out for cash?

So, have things changed? As the church universal begins to move through the holy days this season, few will argue with the statement that the men have made a mess of things.

Of course, the Big Events go forward. The pope goes to Mexico. The pope goes to Cuba. The symbolism is striking, even as the palace guard drags the nearly 85-year-old professor around the world. On the one hand, it seems insane. On the other, it is important, it really is.

But it is also very, very important for Christians — a third of the world — to keep an eye on the empty tomb. Christ is risen, that tomb proclaims. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. That is what really makes a difference.

Without the concept — if not the fact — of resurrection burned into every human heart and mind, the names Trayvon Martin and, lest we choose sides, George Zimmerman soon will be forgotten and tossed upon the trash heap of history. Their names, their story and their stories, are emblematic of so much of human interaction.

What happened in Florida happens every single day in so many ways in so many lives. We never really know who started things. We only know both sides are changed forever. Continue reading

Sources

• Phyllis Sagano in National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Revival Cry