Mary Magdalene: paradigm of the women’s mission in the church

Abstract

In 2016 Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Vatican, issued a decree in which, according to Pope Francisco will, it was established that the liturgical memory of Saint Mary Magdalene was elevated to liturgical feast. The festive celebration of the person as a saint, is another stage in a long process, in which her image has been constantly reframed. Starting from the 1st century (when she is inserted in the narratives of the Gospels), we realize that different stereotypes served to describe and define her. She was shaped according to convenience. Therefore, the Vatican decree, issued twenty centuries after the character’s first registration, instigates our reflection. It makes us think about the continuity, and relevance of the character’s presence in the ecclesiastical imaginary. From the analysis of this document, some questions can be raised: How the character was characterized during this long journey? What is the meaning and importance of this decree in the 21st century? Why is this character still considered a paradigm? The admission of Magdalene as a model of conduct for women, points to which changes, raises which expectations?