Pope’s General prayer intention for March

(Feb. 29, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI’s general prayer intention for the month of March is “That the whole world may recognize the contribution of women to the development of society”. This general prayer intention explains that although men and women differ from one another, both are equal in dignity before God. Unfortunately however, this truth has not been recognized throughout history. Even today, in many places the world over, women are considered inferior to men and are treated as possessions or objects. The notion that women are inferior to men has led to discrimination, and in some cases, even abuse. Women naturally seek equal rights with men and in their struggle to gain this equality, they try to do everything men do, tempted at times to become like men. Thus, they tend to lose the unique and complementary contribution that women make to the human race - what Blessed John Paul II called “the feminine genius,” that is the capacity to mature quickly with a sense of the seriousness of life and its responsibilities. Of course, both men and women. need these values, but women today should have access to positions of responsibility, which allow them to inspire the policies of nations and to promote innovative solutions to economic and social problems. Pope Benedict invites us to pray that the world may recognize women’s unique and essential contribution to the development of a just society.