The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Our humanity is revealed by how we treat women

(En Espanol)

On Oct. 27, Pope Francis addressed participants in an event sponsored by Italy’s National Campaign Against Violence Against Women. The gathering was sponsored by RAI Media—Radiotelevisione Italiana—the Italian public broadcasting company.

“I thank the promoters of ‘a long wave against male violence against women,’ ” the Holy Father said, “which enables us to reflect on a very topical theme. Indeed, violence against women is a poisonous weed that plagues our society and must be pulled up from its roots.”

According to Pope Francis, the roots of this poisonous weed “are cultural and mental, growing in the soil of prejudice, of possession, of injustice.”

Central to this serious cultural problem is the all-too frequent tendency to regard women as second-class citizens.

As Pope Francis said:

In too many places, and in too many situations, women are put in second place, they are considered “inferior,” like objects. And if people are reduced to an item, then their dignity can no longer be seen. They are considered merely a possession that can be appropriated for anything, even to the point of elimination.

History records countless examples of cultural biases against women. As recently as modern times—including in some contemporary cultures—women have been denied the right to vote, to own property and to assume positions of responsibility in business, society and religion. And, as the pope makes clear, when people are denied their fundamental rights and dignity, they are easily abused, exploited and marginalized.

“How many women are overcome by the burden and tragedy of violence!” Pope Francis exclaims. “How many are mistreated, abused, enslaved, victims of the arrogance of those who would make use of their body and their life, forced to surrender to the greed of men.”

When women are not seen as equal in dignity to men, all kinds of bad things happen, including diverse forms of mental, emotional and physical cruelty.

Although the event was sponsored by one of the most prominent media organizations in Italy, Pope Francis did not withhold his criticism of the media’s role in the abuse of women.

He said:

Unfortunately, the mass media still play an ambiguous role in this. On the one hand, they favor respect and the promotion of women, but on the other, they continually transmit messages characterized by hedonism and consumerism, in which both male and female models comply with criteria of success, of self-assertion, of competition, of the power to attract others and dominate them.

Because the news and entertainment media cater to popular opinions, the way they portray women (and men) varies according to the circumstances. “Messages characterized by hedonism and consumerism” regularly appear in drama, comedy and even news features offered by the media to the public. As a result, the media help to create and sustain the “poisonous roots” that the pope says need to be pulled up from the soil of modern culture.

Pope Francis strongly objects to the portrayal of men (or women) as figures who exercise a dominant influence over others.

He says:

Where there is domination there is abuse! Love does not demand prisoners. The Lord wants us to be free and in full dignity. Faced with the scourge of the physical and psychological abuse of women, there is an urgent need to rediscover just and balanced forms of relationships, based on mutual respect and recognition. All kinds of conditioning must be countered with educational action that, starting from the family, places the person, with his or her dignity, at the center.

Relationships based on mutual respect and the recognition of fundamental human dignity are needed to prevent all forms of abuse. The negative cultural influences that promote injustice and inequality must be overcome by an educational system that places positive concepts of human dignity at the center of everything.

Referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Father reminds us that “salvation came into the world from the heart and flesh of a woman.” Her role was in no way incidental or secondary in the story of our redemption.

In fact, the pope insists that our degree of humanity is revealed by how we treat women.

“It is our duty, the responsibility of each person,” Pope Francis says, “to give a voice to our voiceless sisters: the women who are victims of abuse, exploitation, marginalization and undue pressures. Let us not remain indifferent! It is necessary to act immediately, at all levels, with determination, urgency and courage.”
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †