Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene & the unstoned adulteress: 1, 2 or 3 persons?

Are these one soul whose story arcs from sin to Resurrection witness? Or are they distinct disciples, each with their own Gospel mission?

• St Mary Magdalene, feast July 22 and
• St Mary of Bethany, feast July 29 with siblings Martha and Lazarus.
• The unstoned adultress, where Jesus wrote in the sand.

For millennia, Western tradition fused them. Why? This post explores that debate using Scripture and scholarship.

Arguments for one Mary

1. St Gregory the Great, as the pope, preached homily #33 at the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome on September 14, 591. Pope Gregory interpreted these 3 women as one.

• Luke’s unnamed sinful woman (Luke 7:36)
• St Mary of Bethany (John 11–12; Luke 10: 38)
• St Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2)

St Gregory the Great argued that the “7 demons” cast out of Mary Magdalene symbolize the 7 deadly sins, and therefore she must be the same woman who ‘narded the feet of Christ. This was not a doctrinal decree — it was a pastoral, interpretive homily — which became enormously popular. As the pope, St Gregory’s interpretation became the dominant Western view, influencing preaching, art and devotion.

2. Medieval Spiritual Logic. Christians preferred the theological beauty of a single arc.

• A sinner is forgiven
• At Bethany, she becomes a contemplative at Jesus’ feet and
• in Jerusalem, she becomes the apostle to the apostles.

A unified Mary symbolized total transformation—from deliverance to mystical union to apostolic witness. Who wouldn’t identify with this Cinderella story?

Arguments for 3 separate Mary identities

1. The Eastern Fathers consistently saw three separate women. This practice is evidenced on Orthodox calendars to this day.

• The unnamed, accused woman to be stoned
• St Mary of Bethany
• St Mary Magdalene

2. Academic Consensus. JSTOR’s Reconsidering Mary of Bethany notes that “today there is wide academic consensus that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany are clearly delineated and separate Gospel figures.” The random adultress is not revealed by name to protect her identity. Meanwhile, this scholarly clarity influenced Pope Francis’s 2021 decision to officially, distinguish these two as separate saints.

• St Mary Magdalene (July 22)
• St Mary of Bethany (July 29) and siblings

Conclusion. The unified medieval tradition remains the most spiritually rich. However, the most defensible position—based on Scripture and scholarship—is that the unnamed, unstoned sinner (Luke 7), St Mary Magdalene and St Mary of Bethany are 3 distinct persons. Regardless, all reveal the beauty of feminine discipleship in the Gospel.

Prayer for Discernment

When doubts divide and stories blend, Lord, guide our minds, Your truth, please send.
Bring charity to accusing claims, send grace to honor every name.

Three paths converged with Love’s embrace—the serving hands, the seeking grace.
Distinct in name, all joined with You; one faith, one fire, one life made new.

O Christ who walked where siblings prayed, in Bethany’s home of olive shade.
A quiet home where You could breathe. Let every heart, like Mary’s be.

And Magdalene, with tears so bright, first witness to the Easter light.
Teach us to rise from every fall, and answer to the Master’s call.

So lead us, Christ, we ask, we pray; by Bethany and Magdala’s way.
Despite our wills, make our paths bend, to Your own will—our journey’s end.

Sources

Catholic Culture. (2004). Who Really Was Mary Magdalene?

Catholic Online. (n.d.). St. Mary Magdalene – Catholic Encyclopedia.

Church Life Journal. (2023). A Retrieval of the Traditional View of Mary Magdalene.

Kent, G. (n.d.). Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the Sinful Woman of Luke 7: The Same Person?