- Feb 5, 2002
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The idea that Catholics must embrace feminism to engage non-Catholic women has been repeated so frequently that it’s simply accepted as a truism. But is it actually working?
Before answering that question, let’s take a close look at the work of St. John Paul II. He is generally invoked as the reason why we must have a Catholic feminism. As pope, John Paul was clearly interested in upholding the dignity of every woman. His 1988 Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, delved deeply into the nature of womanhood and has provided a backbone of sorts to the contemporary understanding of Catholic womanhood. What we do not find anywhere in that roughly 25,000-word document is the word “feminism.”
In fact, he only used the word one time: in his 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, where he called for a “new feminism.” In one short paragraph, he wrote:
Yes, John Paul II was deeply interested in restoring and upholding the dignity of women, but he saw too that it had to be pursued in a way consistent with the Catholic faith. What is often missed in by those focusing on the Polish Pontiff’s view is the modifier “new” – thereby implying that the “old” feminism is inadequate.
Continued below.
www.thecatholicthing.org
Before answering that question, let’s take a close look at the work of St. John Paul II. He is generally invoked as the reason why we must have a Catholic feminism. As pope, John Paul was clearly interested in upholding the dignity of every woman. His 1988 Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, delved deeply into the nature of womanhood and has provided a backbone of sorts to the contemporary understanding of Catholic womanhood. What we do not find anywhere in that roughly 25,000-word document is the word “feminism.”
In fact, he only used the word one time: in his 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, where he called for a “new feminism.” In one short paragraph, he wrote:
Despite this single mention, feminism has been perhaps oversold to the faithful as the route forward for understanding womanhood. It has even been used to claim that those who don’t embrace Catholic feminism are rejecting John Paul’s wider Catholic vision.
Yes, John Paul II was deeply interested in restoring and upholding the dignity of women, but he saw too that it had to be pursued in a way consistent with the Catholic faith. What is often missed in by those focusing on the Polish Pontiff’s view is the modifier “new” – thereby implying that the “old” feminism is inadequate.
Continued below.
Is Catholic Feminism Working? - The Catholic Thing
Carrie Gress: Feminism is driving societal decay. Yet Catholic women are being led to believe it's the only way to uphold the dignity of women.
www.thecatholicthing.org
