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 Challenged by the cultural
currents that try to confuse the sexual differences written in the human
nature, we need to recall to mind the project of God on man and on
woman: this is an invitation addressed to us by Pope Benedict XVI, on
the occasion of the congress carried out in Rome last month to celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the Apostolic Letter Mulieris
Dignitatem, by John Paul II. Among the reporters there was Angela
Ales Bello, ordinary lecturer of history of contemporary philosophy in
the Lateran University, dean of the philosophy faculty, who directs the
Italian centre of phenomenological researches. She is the author of
numerous publications on the German phenomenology with reference to
other trends of contemporary thought under the historical and
theoretical profile, with particular reference to Edmund Husserl and
Gerda Walther. Among other things, she looks after the translation into
Italian of the Edith Stein’s works, published by Città Nuova.
We
have addressed some questions to her, starting with hints emerged from
the Congress, entitled “Man and woman, the humanum in its entirety”.
Does the Mulieris Dignitatem keep its actuality today, twenty years
after its publication?
“Yes,
it does it absolutely; however, this apostolic letter needs a further
expansion and a further deepening within the Catholic Church; it needs
also to be known by an ampler public, because it is a very important
document. In fact, John Paul II wanted to dedicate it not only to women
but, in an ampler sense, to the anthropological theme of the male and
female duality that portrays a turning point in the area of our
intellectual reflection, as well as of our religious stance”.
What does its newness consist of and how was it received by the
ecclesial and civil community?
“Its
reception, at that time, was good enough. It was prevalently recognised
by the exigency of revising the theme of the female gender. However, I
think that there is an important aspect of the apostolic letter which
was not caught; to me, this aspect was revolutionary and consisted not
only in tightly vindicating the feminine role from the social, religious
and intellectual viewpoint, but and above all, in the necessary
reflection on the male-female relation: in fact, I would say that this
is the newness of the letter. To understand what the role of women is,
it is necessary to speak also of the role of men. The duality cannot be
overcome”.
The Mulieris Dignitatem marks a turning point in the relation
woman-Catholic Church. Have meaningful changes been verified from this
viewpoint since then?
“To
me, there have been some changes, because after this Apostolic Letter
some important acts have been fulfilled within the Church, such as an
increased visibility in the public function of women within the church;
or, the possibility of teaching theology or playing important roles in
ecclesiastical institutions and in the Vatican structure itself. There
have definitely been signs that followed its publication.”
What space can the religious and the consecrated persons occupy in the
Church of the third millennium in the light of this document?
“The
question of women religious is very delicate because traditionally they
had a secondary role, also if compared with the male Congregations, or
they had to work in an absolutely separated and autonomous way, as it
has happened in some Congregations. To me, this point has not yet been
brought to its completion. I sense that sometimes there is a
discrimination against the consecrated woman, even to the advantage of
the lay woman: the first one should have more space within the Church”.
In the recent congress on the theme “Woman and man, the humanum in its
entirety”, they made an evaluation of this twenty years journey
concerning the promotion of the woman and the recognition of her
dignity. Which conclusion did the debate reach?
“The
title itself appears interesting; that is, the simple fact that the
congress was dedicated to the duality woman-man and not only to the
female gender. However, within the debate many voices were still linked
to a new evaluation of the female gender. This was naturally very good,
but I think that we need to make a further step towards the awareness of
the dual or one-dual relation, as they say. I must specify that some
relations have faced this question: meaningful basis have been suggested
which can, rather must be developed further, as I think. However, this
depends on the historical contexts, because in our western culture the
further step is the one concerning the male-female relation, but there
are some cultures, represented also within the congress, such as the
African and Asiatic cultures, in which the problems of women are seen in
dramatic terms, and this makes difficult to face the relation that,
anyhow, would be important to analyse. I think that men would absolutely
escape from this type of reflection. Only Christianity dares facing it,
thanks to the figure of Jesus, who worked with women in an extraordinary
way, as well as with men. Thanks to the magisterium of the Church it is
possible to highlight not only the importance of the female public –seen
that the problem is not the private, but the public role- but also to
speak of the question about the duality. This is a pastoral work that
must start from the western culture and must be diffused among others by
the Christian culture”.
In his talk to the participants, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the
persistence of a masculine mentality that ignores the Christian newness
of recognising equal dignity and responsibility to men and women. Is
this a passage that needs to be deepened?
“The
simple fact that the Pope, the utmost moral authority, is aware of this
according to the indications of Pope Paul VI and John Paul II, is very
important, since it is a public denunciation of certain attitudes that
unluckily are often present at all levels within the ecclesial
structures as well as in the lay world. In fact, sometimes it is this
lay world that so very openly proclaims itself as to reveal itself
extremely shut off”.
In the same talk to the delegates present in the congress, the Pope said
that “there are places and cultures where the woman is discriminated or
undervalued and where persons avail themselves of religious arguments or
family, social and cultural pressures to support the disparity of
sexes”. These are grave phenomena before which we cannot remain
indifferent. Can the Christian commitments change something as the Pope
invokes?
“I
think they can do it and in two directions: through the example, and
this is the most important thing –in fact the example shows that a
change is possible- and through the word, namely preaching the
fundamental principles. This is the important task of the western
Christian culture towards other cultures.
In his talk, Pope Ratzinger quotes his predecessors, Paul VI and John
Paul II. To you, how has the relation of these latest three Pontiffs
evolved with regard to the woman, whether lay or consecrated?
“Sure, the question was faced by Paul VI, though they do not remember it
much. Pope Montini openly acknowledged the extraordinary contribution
given by the female figure to society and to the Catholic Church.
However, to me, it is John Paul II that has given a noteworthy impulse
to it by making us reflect on the role of women and on the dual
structure of the human being. I think that the present Pontiff continues
on this line powerfully. This is a very important aspect and of enormous
encouragement for all of us.
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