Mary Magdalene is known as the “apostle to the apostles.” She is the one who announced to the apostles the good news of the Resurrection. She was, in all likelihood, a woman of independent means who supported the ministry of Jesus. Her reputation as a “fallen woman” is not Biblical at all. There is a fifth century Coptic translation of a second century Greek manuscript entitled the “Gospel of Mary.” It shows Mary instructing Peter, Andrew and Levi in mystical traditions. Feminist scholars speculate that the lost book reflects the diminished role of women in the Church. Pope Francis reminds us that we need to use the gifts and talents of women more fully in the Church — otherwise we are only breathing with one lung.
