Det följande kanske kan vara ett utkast till ett samtal om kvinnor i Kyrkan...? Välkomna att kommentera detta! *** In Praise of Woman: Meditation by Father Cantalamessa Papal Household Preacher Comments on Sunday's Readings VATICAN CITY, NOV. 11, 2005 (Zenit.org). - In his commentary on this Sunday's liturgical readings, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the Pontifical Household, offers a reflection on the dignity of woman. * * * For once, instead of concentrating on the Gospel (the parable of the talents), we will meditate on the first reading, taken from Proverbs, which speaks of the grandeur and dignity of woman. The eulogy, though very beautiful, has a defect that is not grounded in the Bible, but rather in the age and culture it reflects. It reflects a masculine view: Blessed is the man who has a wife who makes his clothes, who honors his home, who enables him to walk with his head held high. Today, women would not be enthusiastic with this praise. To know the authentic and definitive biblical thought on woman one must look at Jesus. He was not, as one would say today, a "feminist"; he never made an explicit analysis or criticism of the institutions and relations between classes and sexes. In his mission, the difference between man and woman has no weight. Both are images of God, both need redemption. But for this reason precisely he is able to unmask the deformations that have led to subjecting woman to man. Jesus is free before woman: He does not see her as a snare or a threat, and this allows him to break many prejudices. Jesus does not refuse to speak with women, to teach them, to make them his disciples. Risen, he shows himself first of all to a group of women, who then become his first witnesses. From his lips there is never a word of contempt or irony for woman, something that was rather commonplace in the culture of the age, penetrated by misogyny. The salvation of woman is as important for Jesus as that of man. That is why many of his miracles affected women. I am moved by one in particular: the healing of a woman who for 18 years "was bent over and could not fully straighten herself" (cf. Luke 13:10). Jesus called her and said: "Woman, you are free from your infirmity." Immediately she was made straight and praised God. That woman, whom Jesus called and to whom he said, "you are free!" who now can raise her head, look at people in the face, see the sky, glorify God and feel like a person again, is a powerful symbol. She is not just one woman; she represents the feminine condition. She is every woman who does not walk bent over, not because of an illness, but because of the oppression to which she has been subjected to in almost all cultures. What freedom and what hope is contained in this cry of Jesus! One of the positive events of our age is the emancipation of women, their equality of rights. In the apostolic letter on the dignity of woman ("Mulieris Dignitatem"), John Paul II underlined the contribution the Church wants to make to this sign of the times. Woman (like man) has a powerful ally in this journey of authentic liberation -- the Holy Spirit. He himself "bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16) gives us the real meaning of our dignity and freedom. In Hebrew, the name of the Holy Spirit, "Ruah," is feminine. But, without stressing this fact too much, it is true that there is a certain affinity, a conniving, and a partnership between the Holy Spirit and woman. He is called the paraclete, which means consoler, and "spirit of life," which "warms what is cold, heals what is sick." And who better than woman shares, at the human level, these prerogatives? It is said that the daughter of a king of France treated her young maid very harshly. One day, irritated, she said to her: "Don't you know I am the daughter of your king?" The young girl replied calmly: "And, don't you know that I am the daughter of your God?" [Italian original published in Famiglia Cristiana; translation by ZENIT] ZE05111103 *** Fr. Cantalamessa är som synes medveten om ett problem som ännu finns i Kyrkan - en "maskulin" definiering av - och syn på - kvinnor. Att bli medveten om problemet är förvisso ett stort steg i rätt riktning! Vi tycks långsamt vara på väg mot en ny syn på kvinnor även i Kyrkan. Så långt är allt frid och fröjd. Men de fina orden han mot slutet säger om kvinnor - kan de inte lika gärna sägas om män - när de vågar visa dessa mer ömsinta sidor? Låter vi män vara allt vad de är? Ofta får katolska texter om "kvinnor" mig att undra när kvinnor kommer att beskrivas av andra än äldre celibatära män.... När ska vi få tala för oss själva, öppet uttrycka hur vi ser på saker och ting - även i Kyrkan? När kommer vi att bli lyssnade till som de verkliga personer vi är - och inte satta på piedestal eller nedtrampade i lera? Till de som lyriskt skriver om de fruar de aldrig fick, eller om de goda mödrar de minns med tårar i ögonen, eller de som vänder sig emot de arga feminister de ogillar, eller som fruktar för de ogifta kvinnorna i kyrkbänkarna mer än döden, vill jag ibland säga något i stil med det här: "Se oss just precis som vi är.... Som jämlika i Kristus, perfekt kompletterande er män, som själsfränder, vänner, kärleksfulla personer, med kunskaper och gåvor på alla nivåer - intellektuellt, känslomässigt, andligt etc. Vi är inte så annorlunda... Så placera oss inte för högt upp - eller för lågt ner - och visa inte bort oss - var inte rädda! Se oss, och våga ta emot oss så som vi är...." |
