Pope urges Angola to defend women's dignity for the sake of human race and family

(March 23, 2009) Pope Benedict on Sunday called on all Angolans, especially men, to fight all that degrade women’s dignity saying God endowed man and woman with the same human nature for the good and continuity of the human race and the family. The Pope made the appeal at a meeting with the members of Catholic movements for the promotion of women, held at Santo António’s Church in the periphery of Luanda, the capital of Angola.
This meeting was Pope Benedict’s last appointment on Sunday before concluding his March 17-23 pastoral visit to Cameroon and Angola on Monday. He made this first pastoral visit to Africa to present the working document of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for October in the Vatican. The theme of this synod is reconciliation, peace and justice.
In his talk to the members of Catholic movements for the promotion of women the Pope drew attention to the adverse conditions to which many women have been subjected and continue to be so, drawing particular attention to ways in which the behaviour and attitudes of men, who at times show a lack of sensitivity and responsibility. The Pope said, “this forms no part of God’s plan.” Referring to the creation of the first man and woman in the Bible, the Pope said that when Adam gazed upon Eve he saw himself reflected in her. The Pope said, “We must therefore recognize, affirm and defend the equal dignity of man and woman: they are both persons, utterly unique among all the living beings found in the world.”
The Pope said that man and woman are both called to live in profound communion through a reciprocal recognition of one another and the mutual gift of themselves, working together for the common good through the complementary aspects of masculinity and femininity. In a world like ours, dominated by technology, we feel the need for this feminine complementarity, so that the human race can live in the world without completely losing its humanity.
The Pope thought of all the places afflicted by great poverty or devastated by war, and of all the tragic situations resulting from migrations, forced or otherwise. He said, “It is almost always women who manage to preserve human dignity, to defend the family and to protect cultural and religious values. “
Pope Benedict observed that history records almost exclusively the accomplishments of men, when in fact much of it is due to the determined, unrelenting and charitable action of women. Church and society have been and continue to be enormously enriched by the presence and virtues of women, and in a particular way by consecrated religious who, relying on the Lord’s grace, have placed themselves at the service of others.
“Since the dignity of women is equal to that of men,” the Pope argued, “no one today should doubt that women have a full right to become actively involved in all areas of public life, and this right must be affirmed and guaranteed, also, where necessary, through appropriate legislation.” “This acknowledgment of the public role of women,” the Pope stressed, “should not however detract from their unique role within the family.”
The Holy Father said that the presence of a mother within the family is so important for the stability and growth of this fundamental cell of society, that it should be recognized, commended and supported in every possible way. For the same reason, society must hold husbands and fathers accountable for their responsibilities towards their families.
At the end Pope Benedict stressed that no human couple, alone and on its own strength, can adequately offer children love and a genuine understanding of life. There needs to be a higher and more trustworthy authority than parents alone can offer. This higher authority is the Church established by God within human history. For this reason, the building up of every Christian family takes place within the larger family, the Church, which sustains the domestic family and holds it close to her heart.