Vatican: Beyond Women's Rights, Society Needs a "New Appreciation of Authentically Feminine Values"

NEW YORK, March 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Addressing violence against women and girls must go beyond mere policy changes to look at the root reasons for the devaluing of women, stated the Vatican delegation to the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN March 2. "The promotion of women will be achieved not only by the legitimate vindication of women's rights," the delegation stated. "With that there must also be established a fresh appreciation of authentically feminine values in the heart of our societies."

The session is considering the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled '"Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century:' Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives: The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.

"The Vatican delegation condemned any tacit acceptance of the international sex trade or prostitution, often ignored as a human rights violation in developed nations.

"Women bear the brunt of the world's child prostitution, sexual exploitation, abuse, domestic violence, child labour and human trafficking," the Holy See stated.

"The international sex trade has become an important industry as degrading as almost any mistreatment of women prior to it. This trade is often passed over in silence because it is considered a part of supposedly democratic freedoms and is too deeply rooted in places or is too lucrative to confront, so my delegation commends those states and organizations that have stepped forward in recent times to combat and draw attention to this scourge." [More]

My Comments

Yes, we need to fight for real women's rights today. In the 60's women fought for equal rights - equality in pay, job advancement,etc. But, today we have much more serious rights to consider - the right of women to be born, the right to human life.

Women were never meant to be denied life nor to be treated as objects by others. Women, as human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, are to be treated with respect and dignity.

Feminine values and virtues - modesty, chastity, purity, respect for one's own body and that of others, respect for the inherent dignity of human beings and their right to life need to be taught to all in our society and practiced by all. People are not animals - they have a soul and a mind and self-control which they need to use. It is the media, pornography, and Planned Parenthood which distort the truth and debase women, drawing both men and women into the culture of death.

In 1995, Pope John Paul II, spoke about the authentic role of women in his general audiences and catechisis on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Catholic Culture's Mary Sheds Light on Role of Women presents John Paul II's beautiful thoughts and wisdom on the role of women today.

It was Pope John Paul's theology of the body and his book, Love and Responsibility, that taught about the dignity of sex in the 1980's and continues to teach many today about the beauty of sex, love, and marriage.

Comments

Blog Archive

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

The Spirituality and Miracles of St. Clare of Assisi

Saint Michael de Sanctis: Patron of Cancer Patients

Saint Gerard of Brogne: Patron of Abbots