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Who stood by the cross with the mother of Jesus?
John: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas” ([xix, 25]).
Mary must have been a very popular name to be given to two daughters of the same family. It is not probable that these sisters were both named Mary. John never mentions the name of Jesus’ mother, and it is evident that he did not suppose her name was Mary. Were John the only Gospel, Christians would be ignorant of the Virgin’s name. Mariolatry did not originate in the Johannine church.