At 12:15pm today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with participants in the 29th National Congress promoted by the CIF (Italian Women's Centre). The theme for their encounter, which is taking place at the Domus Mariae in Rome from January 24 to 26 is CIF: that extra step - recreate life and cultivate hope.
Dear friends from the Italian Women's Centre,
I am happy to welcome all of you who are participating in the meeting of your Association. I thank your President for the words with which our encounter this morning have been introduced.
I give thanks to the Lord, along with you, for all the good that the Italian Women's Centre has accomplished during its nearly seventy years of existence, especially work which has been implemented in the field of education and human development, and for the witness these efforts provide about the role of women in society and in the Church community. As a matter of fact, over the past few decades, along with other cultural and social transformations, the identity and role of women in the family, in society and in the Church, has experienced significant change. In general, in all these domains, the participation and responsibility of women have been increasing.
Throughout the years, it is important to note that the participation and discernment of the Magisterium and the Popes has always been present. Most especially, mention should be made here of the Apostolic Letter of my predecessor Blessed John Paul II entitled Mulieris dignitatem, on the dignity and vocation of women. This Letter, published in 1988, continues the line of teaching from the Second Vatican Council, recognizing the moral strength of women and their spiritual strength (MD, 30); and we should also remember the Message for the 1995 World Day of Peace entitled Women: Teachers of Peace.
I recall the vital contribution of women in society, particularly with your sensitivity and intuition toward the weak and the helpless, and I have been pleased to see so many women sharing pastoral responsibility with our priests. Together, you assist people, families, and groups - the source of much theological reflection; and I hope that you will continue to open more and more space for a more comprehensive and incisive presence of women in the Church (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, 103).
These new spaces and responsibilities which have been opened, and which I sincerely hope will continue to expand the presence and commitment of women, both in the Church and in civil and professional arenas, must never cause us to forget the irreplaceable role of women in the family. The qualities of delicacy, sensitivity and tenderness - qualities which enrich the female soul - represent not only a strength for family life and the creation of a climate of serenity and harmony, but also a reality without which no other human vocation would be possible. This is important. Without the presence of these attitudes, without these qualities of women, the vocation of humanity cannot be fully realized.
If the world of work and the public sphere are considered important, the perceptive contribution of the female genius remains an indispensable part of the family, which for us Christians is not simply a private sphere, but the domestic Church whose health and prosperity are conditions for the health and prosperity of the Church and of society itself. We can think of the role of Mary: the Madonna creates something in the Church that cannot be contributed by priests, bishops and even popes. She is the true female genius. Consider the role of Mary in the family. What does the presence of the Virgin Mary contribute to our families? The presence of women in the home is more important now than it ever has been, especially for transmitting sound moral principals and even faith itself to future generations.
At this point, I'd like to ask a question: how is it possible to increase the presence of women in the public sphere, in the world of work and in the places where decisions are most important, while at the same time maintaining the important presence and precious attentiveness which is the special gift of women in the family? This is the place where discernment is called for, a discernment which in addition to reflection on the role of women in society, requires constant and ongoing prayer.
It is in dialogue with God, illuminated by His Word, watered by the grace of the Sacraments that Christian women continue their quest to respond to the call of the Lord, in the concrete reality of their lived situations. Our prayer is always supported by the maternal presence of Mary. She who cared for her divine Son, who encouraged his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, who was present at Calvary and at Pentecost, will show us how to deepen the significance and the role of women in society, while continuing to be entirely faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and to your mission in the world. Thank you!
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the meeting with the participants
from the Italian Women's Centre
Dear friends from the Italian Women's Centre,
I am happy to welcome all of you who are participating in the meeting of your Association. I thank your President for the words with which our encounter this morning have been introduced.
I give thanks to the Lord, along with you, for all the good that the Italian Women's Centre has accomplished during its nearly seventy years of existence, especially work which has been implemented in the field of education and human development, and for the witness these efforts provide about the role of women in society and in the Church community. As a matter of fact, over the past few decades, along with other cultural and social transformations, the identity and role of women in the family, in society and in the Church, has experienced significant change. In general, in all these domains, the participation and responsibility of women have been increasing.
Throughout the years, it is important to note that the participation and discernment of the Magisterium and the Popes has always been present. Most especially, mention should be made here of the Apostolic Letter of my predecessor Blessed John Paul II entitled Mulieris dignitatem, on the dignity and vocation of women. This Letter, published in 1988, continues the line of teaching from the Second Vatican Council, recognizing the moral strength of women and their spiritual strength (MD, 30); and we should also remember the Message for the 1995 World Day of Peace entitled Women: Teachers of Peace.
I recall the vital contribution of women in society, particularly with your sensitivity and intuition toward the weak and the helpless, and I have been pleased to see so many women sharing pastoral responsibility with our priests. Together, you assist people, families, and groups - the source of much theological reflection; and I hope that you will continue to open more and more space for a more comprehensive and incisive presence of women in the Church (Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, 103).
These new spaces and responsibilities which have been opened, and which I sincerely hope will continue to expand the presence and commitment of women, both in the Church and in civil and professional arenas, must never cause us to forget the irreplaceable role of women in the family. The qualities of delicacy, sensitivity and tenderness - qualities which enrich the female soul - represent not only a strength for family life and the creation of a climate of serenity and harmony, but also a reality without which no other human vocation would be possible. This is important. Without the presence of these attitudes, without these qualities of women, the vocation of humanity cannot be fully realized.
If the world of work and the public sphere are considered important, the perceptive contribution of the female genius remains an indispensable part of the family, which for us Christians is not simply a private sphere, but the domestic Church whose health and prosperity are conditions for the health and prosperity of the Church and of society itself. We can think of the role of Mary: the Madonna creates something in the Church that cannot be contributed by priests, bishops and even popes. She is the true female genius. Consider the role of Mary in the family. What does the presence of the Virgin Mary contribute to our families? The presence of women in the home is more important now than it ever has been, especially for transmitting sound moral principals and even faith itself to future generations.
At this point, I'd like to ask a question: how is it possible to increase the presence of women in the public sphere, in the world of work and in the places where decisions are most important, while at the same time maintaining the important presence and precious attentiveness which is the special gift of women in the family? This is the place where discernment is called for, a discernment which in addition to reflection on the role of women in society, requires constant and ongoing prayer.
It is in dialogue with God, illuminated by His Word, watered by the grace of the Sacraments that Christian women continue their quest to respond to the call of the Lord, in the concrete reality of their lived situations. Our prayer is always supported by the maternal presence of Mary. She who cared for her divine Son, who encouraged his first miracle at the wedding at Cana, who was present at Calvary and at Pentecost, will show us how to deepen the significance and the role of women in society, while continuing to be entirely faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ and to your mission in the world. Thank you!
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