New Feminism: Saying Yes to God

CARDINAL MARTINO'S ADDRESS AT CONGRESS ON WOMEN

"There Will Be No New Feminism Without God"

 

Cardinal Martino begins this message with a prayer for women "that Christian women will choose to be, with all their being, the interpreters and leaders of this Christianity of yes". Many women understand that to talk about feminism, it requires them to engage in a very personal discussion. They must ask the question who am I and why is being a woman so important. To say yes to God, women must recognize they are important as they are made to be relational from every aspect of their being. This being the case, they can be great instruments to help to add a structure to society that ensures it is civil, as they can strive to ensure the dignity of the person in all that they do. The Cardinal lays out some very important principles in his address that must be considered integral parts of the New Feminism.

Firstly,

Pluralism is fully admissible and also obligatory, when it is an expression of the good and of the multiplicity of itineraries that can be undertaken to carry it out, or also when it expresses the complexity of the questions on which a definitive vision cannot be given. However, when principles of the natural moral law or the very dignity of any human being are at stake, there can be no compromise. There are non-negotiable questions that do not allow for abolition and democracy cannot be a commitment with a downward tendency, because in this case the common good would be transformed in the lesser common evil (my emphasis).

One of the non-negotiable ideas is the importance of life. Remembering that God is the author of life, women must lead society worldwide from that of a culture of death to a culture of life. We must work towards solutions to encourage socio-economic situations that expect the good, and not allow for a certain amount of evil as a societal accepted tolerance. An example: abstinence preserves God's plan for life and will keep the family healthy instead of the usual message of if you can't be abstinent, then use a condom.

Secondly,

 As the present economic/financial crisis demonstrates, in the center of the same is manifested a dangerous deficit of moral and religious values and, hence, of an integral formation. …The natural law does not exist on one hand and the new law on the other. To think of things this way means to accept that the world can function without God. If God's salvation does not affect all planes, in the end it is expelled from them all. This does not mean that the latter must invade them, but that its light guarantees their own autonomy and liberty, placing them in the truth.

Women must not accept the notion that "I am personally opposed, but will not impose my religion…." because this lack of moral courage causes harm to the society. When the good of the natural law is not asserted, it is often felt most at the level of the family, especially woman and children. Society does breakdown. The economic meltdown in the end means people will be deprived of livelihoods and the ability to shelter and feed their families can be greatly compromised. There is no such thing as a victimless crime, even when the society refuses to acknowledge it. The crime has been committed. Like science points out: defy the laws of gravity and you crash, obey the laws and you fly. We must strive for the integral formation of moral and religious values Cardinal Martino refers to, along with our other educational endeavors, for both ourselves and those we are to teach. This is the good leavening that must be constantly reintroduced into the society.

Lastly,

Society needs rules that conform to human nature, but it also needs fraternal relations, of genuine fraternal love. The old feminism was based on egocentric individualism and, often, egoistic. The new feminism must be interlaced with love for life, the family and others; a feminism governed by charity, the queen of virtues.

Women can be the most excellent examples of the fact that God is love. As the Cardinal pointed out and CCWF constantly reminds woman, John Paul II wanted people to remember that God is truth and love. He saw that women are so important in this aspect of evangelization. Yes, the Cardinal is right, but let us take one more step: authentic feminism being governed by charity is crowned by charity.

Kathleen O'Connell-Sundaram

Pope Benedict Timely Address to All Women with His Address in Africa

From Pope Benedict XVI's  MEETING WITH CATHOLIC MOVEMENTS FOR THE PROMOTION OF WOMEN

Man and woman are both called to live in profound communion through a reciprocal recognition of one another and the mutual gift of themselves, working together for the common good through the complementary aspects of masculinity and femininity. Who today can fail to recognize the need to make more room for the "reasons of the heart"? In a world like ours, dominated by technology, we feel the need for this feminine complementarity, so that the human race can live in the world without completely losing its humanity. Think of all the places afflicted by great poverty or devastated by war, and of all the tragic situations resulting from migrations, forced or otherwise. It is almost always women who manage to preserve human dignity, to defend the family and to protect cultural and religious values.

Here, the Holy Father presents both the contribution of and the challenge to women to use the gifts of the feminine genius in our wounded culture. With whatever gifts we possess, they are constantly needed to represent the fact that all are made in the image and likeness of God, no matter what the situation presents. The Holy Father introduces the talk by recalling the action of the Blessed Mother at the Marriage Feast of Cana imploring the help of her Son for the needs of the wedding host. Women must follow this example and continue to implore help for the needs of others, for the state of their souls and the souls of the wider culture.

The Pope goes on to remind us why we must support the structure of the family as it was designed by God:

Moreover, a woman's personal sense of dignity is not primarily the result of juridically defined rights, but rather the direct consequence of the material and spiritual care she receives in the bosom of the family. The presence of a mother within the family is so important for the stability and growth of this fundamental cell of society, that it should be recognized, commended and supported in every possible way. For the same reason, society must hold husbands and fathers accountable for their responsibilities towards their families.

Posted by: Kathleen O'Connell-Sundaram

March 28,2008

Why do I do this?

The California Catholic Women's Forum exists to help rebuild a culture that has forgotten its Judeo-Christian roots. Who are we? Who are we meant to be? What do I mean when I say I am a woman in this 'post-modern' society? Is there such a thing as vocation? If there is, do I have one? If I do, how do I know what it is? Is there truth? If there is, can I discern it? Did God really create the world? If he did, did he do it with a game plan? The questions can go on and on, and our quest in the CCWF is to help you search for answers.

We have several facets to our organization, fleshed out in our mission statement. We are dissecting a document written in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, Mulieris dignitatem, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women. On April 25, 2009 we present our sixth in a series of eight forums, Women of the Bible: Trailblazers for Life. 

On January 30, 2008 we received our accreditation from the California Board of Registered Nurses and inaugurated the Seeds of Life series, in which we turn our eye to educating on the ethical healthcare issues that affect all of us. In the future, we hope to be able to begin educating on women's issues in a more formalized format. All of this is in God's hands of course, but so far he has been very good to us.

Now I personally would like to share a prayer with you that I wrote on March 1. I am a member of the movement Regnum Christi and was  able to attend a convention of like-minded women from all over North America. The meeting began on March 1 and took place in Atlanta, GA. Unbelievably, it snowed that day. I was sitting in the home of a friend who now lives there, and who hails from the same town I grew up in, Edmonton. Alberta, where we really KNOW snow. I have photos, and include two of them here. However, though it was remarkable that two ex-snowbirds were sitting in a room in Atlanta watching it snow, our minds went to the underlying meaning of this event. 

In Canmore, Alberta there is a school called Our Lady of the Snows. This name came from a real event that resulted in the construction of the magnificent church in Rome, St. Mary Major, or Santa Maria Maggiore. Here is what happened: In Rome in 352 AD there lived a very wealthy couple that had recently converted to Christianity. They wondered how they could best give to the Church they loved so dearly. On the night of 4th August, they each dreamt the same dream, as did the Pope at the time, Pope Liberius. In this dream Mary told them she wanted them to build her a church and she would let them know where it should be built. Upon awakening, they noticed that it SNOWED on the Esquiline hill, in Rome, in August! She wanted a church built and it stands still today, one of the major basilicas in Rome.

As we sat in my friend's condominium and prepared to leave to register for the convention, it started snowing. We went to the car to go to the convention and the car was loaded with snow. Of course we had no windshield scraper! The morning after the convention started there were still spots of snow on the ground. This was so unseasonable it is hard to imagine. We realized it was Mary, telling us to build a church.

Here is my prayer.

It is snowing! 

Our Lady has sent us snow, just like at the time of the Roman Empire, because she wants to build a church!  She wants us to build a Church of ideas and faith, rooted in love. 

That is our hope. To shore up the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church in Truth and Love, which is Christ.

Mary is telling us that she is here with us. She is our support and our Mother. She has us on her lap and is caring for us.

The call is real and the time is now.  It is time to put misgivings aside and focus on our vocation - to build the Kingdom, for Christ, using the talents He gave us. He called us from before time to be his apostles in this era of incredible unbelief.

Lord, increase my faith, and decrease my pride.

Lord, we ask you to bring us wisdom and the courage to learn your ways so that we can be the best apostles we can be.

Mary, protect us on this journey.

Amen

This prayer sums up in a similar way our mission in the CCWF. To rebuild a culture built on the firm foundation of truth. Where reason and faith can go hand in hand, not obstructionist, not pitted against each other. But a synthesis, where the two working together create a one that is bigger and more beautiful than each on its own, and which sits in the human soul comfortably, very comfortably indeed.

We hope you are able to join with us in this venture. Please come back to this blog frequently, where you will be able to read from other members of our group. We will enjoy reading your insights and look forward to your suggestions. Visit our website. Come to our forums. You will not be disappointed! We invite the best to come and speak for us on the different topics we tackle. Your mind will be challenged and your faith fortified. Do not think this is not for you, for God made all women not just Catholic ones and the truth is the truth. Men, of course, are invited too.

In Christ,

Michele Coldiron
Executive Director,
California Catholic Women's Forum