Other meanings of Mary Magdalene
Christianity
Mary Magdalene was a prominent follower of Jesus of Nazareth, mentioned in the New Testament as a witness to his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. She is often called the "apostle to the apostles" because she was the first to announce the risen Christ. Her portrayal has varied widely across history, from a repentant sinner to a visionary leader, and she remains a figure of theological and cultural significance.
Mary Magdalene appears in all four canonical Gospels, more often than most apostles. Luke 8:2 notes that Jesus cast seven demons out of her, after which she traveled with his group and supported them financially. She was present at the crucifixion (Mark 15:40), observed the burial (Mark 15:47), and discovered the empty tomb on Easter morning (John 20:1). In John's account, Jesus appears to her first and instructs her to tell the disciples, earning her the title "apostle to the apostles" in early Christian tradition.1
In 591, Pope Gregory I delivered a homily that identified Mary Magdalene with the unnamed sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet (Luke 7:37) and with Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. This conflation, though never formally dogmatized, shaped Western art and piety for centuries, casting her as a repentant prostitute. Eastern Christianity never accepted this identification. In the 20th century, the Catholic Church revised its liturgical texts to distinguish the figures, and in 2016 Pope Francis elevated her memorial to a feast day, emphasizing her role as an evangelist.
Several non-canonical texts, including the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Thomas, portray Mary Magdalene as a privileged recipient of Jesus' secret teachings and a leader among the disciples. In the Gospel of Mary, she receives a vision of the risen Christ and defends her authority against Peter's skepticism. These texts, discovered in the Nag Hammadi library and elsewhere, suggest that early Christian communities debated women's leadership roles. Some scholars argue that these writings reflect historical tensions about Mary's prominence, while others caution that they are later compositions with theological agendas.
Beyond the familiar stories, Mary Magdalene has been linked to the legend of her voyage to southern France, where she supposedly evangelized Provence and lived as a hermit in a cave at Sainte-Baume. This tradition, popular in medieval Europe, is commemorated in pilgrimages and local cults. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, she is called "Equal to the Apostles" and is honored for her preaching. Modern scholarship has also examined her possible role as a patron of women's ministries, and some feminist theologians have reclaimed her as a symbol of female apostolic authority. Additionally, the 1969 Code of Canon Law revision and the 2016 liturgical change reflect ongoing re-evaluations of her legacy.2
This article focuses on the historical and religious figure of Mary Magdalene as presented in Christian scriptures and traditions.
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