The Explainer with Manolo Quezon (6pm Tuesday ABSCBN Cable News ANC) tackles the historical Jesus. I'm on the panel with Ms.Gang Badoy and UST Professor of Theology, Fr. Efren Rivera. In this post, I dwell upon the central issue that I believe is unresolved in Roman Catholicism: the place and status of women. It seems to me painfully obvious that women are second class Catholics. And it all began with the suppression of ALL the female witnesses to the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, including that of His Mother (Mary) and the disciple Mary Magdalene, who was the first human being to see Jesus of Nazareth returned to Life after a three day descent into Hell. Why do the official Gospels that tell this central story of all Christianity -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- not include the testaments of both Mama Mary and Mary Magdalene which would seem to be absolutely material and relevant to the central mystery of Christianity: the alleged miracle of the Resurrection. A famous painting portrays the moment Jesus Christ utters that famous phrase in the Gospel of John 20:17 and is the very moment of Christianity's birth, for it is His first re-appearance in the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)--after the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene is the first human being to see Him alive after the Crucifixion. Here is the Resurrection scene in Iannus 20:15-18 from the Latin Vulgate Bible:
15. dicit ei Iesus mulier quid ploras quem quaeris illa existimans quia hortulanus esset dicit ei domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi ubi posuisti eum et ego eum tollamThe King James Version (1611) has it in English:
16. dicit ei Iesus Maria conversa illa dicit ei rabboni quod dicitur magister
17. dicit ei Iesus noli me tangere nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem meum vade autem ad fratres meos et dic eis ascendo ad Patrem meum et Patrem vestrum et Deum meum et Deum vestrum
18. venit Maria Magdalene adnuntians discipulis quia vidi Dominum et haec dixit mihi
15. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Now of course, it is always a surprise, (especially for the most pious) to discover that the original Gospels were written in Greek and so the original utterance would be "Meta mon apton!" in place of "Touch Me Not!" or "Noli Me Tangere!"
1 comment:
I think even if the faithful recognized and acknowledged the contradictions, inconsistencies and arbitrariness of the church’s teachings without the fear of hell, eternal damnation, ex-communication or the devil’s possession, they would still choose to believe.
That’s how far in they are, that they have become both prisoner and warden of their faith. Ingenious, insidious—a closed loop. And this is the reason why the church is well and alive until this day, because Faith is nurtured by ignorance and fear. it is a chillingly brilliant, wicked system.
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