It is a central tenant of
Catholic Social Teaching that all human
beings are made in the image and likeness
of God and therefore posses a dignity
that gives rise to a number of rights.
This applies equally to all human beings
without distinction. Women and men are
equal in dignity and rights.
The Catholic Church is opposed to
anything that offends human dignity.
Violence offends human dignity. Violence
against any member of the human family
diminishes the whole of humanity.
Violence against women is a sin against
the whole of humanity and a sign of
serious disrespect for the image of God.
The Church has not always been so clear
and direct in its teachings on the
dignity and rights of women. Some members
of the Church in different times and
places have even sought to justify or
excuse discrimination and violence
against women. The Pope has very
consciously rejected and condemned such
actions. During the preparations for the
Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Pope
issued several mea culpas or apologies on
behalf of the Church. One such apology
was directed towards women, acknowledging
that women have suffered offences against
their dignity and have been humiliated
and marginalized at the hands of members
of the Church:
…we are
heirs to a history which has
conditioned us to a remarkable
extent. In every time and place
this conditioning has been an
obstacle to the progress of women.
Women's dignity has often been
unacknowledged and their
prerogatives misrepresented; they
have often been relegated to the
margins of society and even
reduced to servitude. This has
prevented women from truly being
themselves, and it has resulted
in a spiritual impoverishment of
humanity. Certainly it is no easy
task to assign blame for this,
considering the many kinds of
cultural conditioning which down
the centuries have shaped ways of
thinking and acting. And if
objective blame, especially in
particular historical contexts,
has belonged to not just a few
members of the Church, for this I
am truly sorry. May this regret
be transformed, on the part of
the whole Church, into a renewed
commitment of fidelity to the
Gospel vision.
When it comes to setting women
free from every kind of
exploitation and domination, the
Gospel contains an ever relevant
message which goes back to the
attitude of Jesus Christ himself.
Transcending the established
norms of his own culture, Jesus
treated women with openness,
respect, acceptance and
tenderness. In this way he
honored the dignity which women
have always possessed according
to God's plan and in his love. As
we look to Christ at the end of
this second millennium, it is
natural to ask ourselves how much
of his message has been heard and
acted upon.
John Paul II, Letter to Women
1995(n3) http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women_en.html
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Idea for Action: Transforming
Regret Into Action
How many women
in your parish are aware that the
Pope has apologized to them for
gender discrimination within the
Church? Provide copies of the
Pope's apology, translated into
appropriate languages, to the
women in your parish. Collect
their suggestions for how the
Pope's regret might be
transformed into a commitment to
greater faithfulness to the
Gospel vision of the equality of
women and men in the context of
your parish. Compile these
suggestions and offer them to the
parish council and parish priest
on the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against
Women for reflection and action.
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