Book contents
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Table
- Contributors
- General Introduction
- Part I Spaces, Liturgies, Travels
- Part II Women, Gender, Sexuality
- 7 The Myth of Pope Joan
- 8 The Keys to Two Marys: Popes and the Women of Scripture
- 9 Popes and Sexuality within and outside Marriage
- 10 Papacy and Marriage
- 11 Popes, Contraception, and Abortion
- 12 The Papacy, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage
- 13 Clerical Sexual Abuse and Papal Power
- Part III Science, Medicine, Technology
- Part IV Education, Culture, Arts
- Select Bibliography
- Index
8 - The Keys to Two Marys: Popes and the Women of Scripture
from Part II - Women, Gender, Sexuality
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2025
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Table
- Contributors
- General Introduction
- Part I Spaces, Liturgies, Travels
- Part II Women, Gender, Sexuality
- 7 The Myth of Pope Joan
- 8 The Keys to Two Marys: Popes and the Women of Scripture
- 9 Popes and Sexuality within and outside Marriage
- 10 Papacy and Marriage
- 11 Popes, Contraception, and Abortion
- 12 The Papacy, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage
- 13 Clerical Sexual Abuse and Papal Power
- Part III Science, Medicine, Technology
- Part IV Education, Culture, Arts
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The dynamic of simultaneous recognition and restriction of women’s leadership roles in the Church is not new for the papacy. This chapter employs the figures of Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary – the two “leading women” of the New Testament – to explore the surprising degree to which popes have recognized the pivotal role of women in salvation history. It also shows, however, that popes consistently crafted the identities of the Virgin and the Magdalene in a manner that de-emphasized any priestly function or Christ-like power. Both Marys, therefore, share traits connected to their lack of suitability for leadership within a male order. In constraining the roles of the Marys, popes have also limited the roles for ordained women in the Church, thereby maintaining their unique claims to primacy.
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- The Cambridge History of the Papacy , pp. 246 - 274Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025