Cardinal Tagle: The Church Must Recognize Today's ‘Mary Magdalenes’ as Witnesses of Hope
"In our parishes and dioceses, there are many Marys of Magdala. It is important to see them."
With this appeal, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle concluded the one-day retreat for participants of the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), urging Church leaders across Asia to recognize those whom God has chosen as witnesses of hope, even when the world overlooks them.
The cardinal presided over the Mass on July 22 in the Gerbera Room of Hotel Mulia in Jakarta. The Mass also marked the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene and brought to a close a day of prayer, silence, reflection, and spiritual discernment for the assembly participants.
At the beginning of the liturgy, Cardinal Tagle conveyed the greetings and blessings of Pope Leo XIV to the cardinals, bishops, and delegates gathered from across Asia.
Reflecting on St. Mary Magdalene, whom the Church honors as the "Apostle to the Apostles," Cardinal Tagle said her life demonstrates how God sees greatness where society often sees only weakness or failure.
"Mary Magdalene had a beautiful story," he said. "She suffered greatly, yet she was seen by Jesus. She was named, recognized, and transformed by His love."
The cardinal recalled that Mary Magdalene, once known as the woman from whom seven demons had been cast out, became one of Jesus' closest disciples and remained faithful at the foot of the Cross when many others fled.
"Those women stood there as if declaring to the world: 'We know Him. We cannot deny Him. Our commitment will not waver,'" he said.
Cardinal Tagle also reflected on Mary's encounter with the risen Christ at the empty tomb. Although she was initially overcome by grief and failed to recognize Jesus, everything changed when He called her by name.
"A very simple act made her see the greatest event," he said. "She heard the voice of her Shepherd. She recognized the One who knew her."
According to the cardinal, this encounter shows that faith begins not with human achievement but with God's initiative. Mary recognized the risen Lord because she had first experienced His love and learned to recognize His voice.
That encounter immediately became a mission. Jesus entrusted Mary Magdalene with announcing His Resurrection to the apostles, making her the first witness to Christianity's central message.
"She was the bridge to the other disciples," Cardinal Tagle said. "Her message was simple: 'I have seen the Lord.' It was a personal testimony of what she had experienced."
He noted that Jesus deliberately entrusted the proclamation of the Resurrection to someone who, by the standards of the time, might not have been considered a credible witness.
"The risen Lord made sure that the greatest news would be witnessed by people the world would not easily embrace," he said. "This is not how the world evaluates importance. This is how God sees."
Returning to the retreat's central theme of becoming bridges of mission and communion, Cardinal Tagle encouraged participants to recognize similar witnesses in their own local Churches.
"In our parishes and dioceses, there are many Marys of Magdala," he said. "It is important to see them. They are being sent by the Lord to us, reminding us of the greatest truth and the fulfillment of hope: Jesus is truly risen."
The Eucharistic celebration concluded the one-day retreat for participants of the FABC plenary assembly.
