In other words, we have the same old story:
men are virtuous and called to dizzy heights of sanctity whereas women are, as
ever, the cause of humanity’s downfall. The priest concerned, naturally, made
no mention of the weakness and extreme vulnerability of men if the mere sight
and sound of a woman is their first step on the road to perdition. Presumably
he also counted his own mother and sisters amongst the few women who succeeded
in escaping from Satan’s grasp? If he did not, then I would love to be a fly on
the wall when he next visits his family!
Perhaps Fr Iannuzzi intended to
imply that the vast number of women who have achieved holiness through the
centuries is proof positive that they have a great and unparalleled inner
strength that withstands the unending onslaught of ‘the Prince of Demons’?
Writing that "women’s rights
seem to trace their roots to something hardly human" and not “putting the
blame fair and square on women because of some intrinsic flaw”, the same priest
infers that abortion is all the proof needed to show Satan’s preference for
women, particularly those who are "young and pleasing in appearance."
Has he never noticed that men cannot have an abortion, although they are well
able to play a part in its procurement and enactment?
Coincidentally, the offending
remarks, dressed up in theological terms and included as a news item in a
respected publication, appeared one or two days after the sentencing of the
murderer of 5 year-old April Jones and on the same day that the big-name
Internet providers met with various Government representatives in an attempt to
reduce the abundance and availability of online pornography.
Similarly, his comments came a
few days after an excellent interview on Radio 4 stunned an interviewee to
silence when Eddie Mair asked how the man’s late wife would have reacted to his
current frequent recourse to prostitutes. The man concerned had evidently never
previously considered the question as he spoke of his “needs” and of the way he
provides for the pleasure, support and requirements of those he visits. He
blustered and said that his wife “understands”. I wonder!
One of my colleagues has recently
spent a considerable amount of time and effort preparing for the First Holy
Communion of her elder son. Dissatisfied with some of the catechesis he had
received at school, she took on the job at the point where his teachers finished,
with the result that little Joseph must be the best instructed First Holy Communicant
in world history! His big day was one that he will never forget, but for all
the right reasons. When Joseph approached the altar, he knew exactly what he
was doing.
An American mother wrote, "It’s
my son, Alex. He just made [his] First Holy Communion and received money for
the occasion. He decided to donate all of it to the local Ecumenical Kitchen.
He is very inspired by Pope Francis and said to me, ‘If we don’t help the
hungry, who will?’ He donated $465 (£298)
and fed about 350 people. We spent the afternoon with the patrons and Alex (and
his brother Gabriel) ate with them. It was just beautiful." The child’s
concern for others is exemplary, but perhaps the same could be said for his
parents whose inspiration and guidance enabled the 8 year-old to perform an act
of outstanding generosity and concern for others.
Interestingly, the comments of Fr
Iannuzzi do not seem to echo those of the Pope. Far from seeing women as the
threat to humanity, he wrote, “The woman has [a] function in Christianity,
reflected in the figure of Mary. It is the figure that embraces society, the
figure that contains it, the mother of the community. The woman has the gift of
maternity, of tenderness; if all these riches are not integrated, a religious
community not only transforms into a chauvinist society, but also into one that
is austere, hard and hardly sacred.”
Pope Francis celebrated his first
Mother’s Day as head of the Catholic Church by announcing that he has nominated
every mother in the world for sainthood. “My advisers tell me that they
probably will not be able to make a billion new saints, but I had to at least
make the effort.” He later explained that “Mothers do so much for us, they give
us life, they protect us, they love us, and most of all, they put up with
us. They deserve to be recognized as the
saints that they truly are... I had no ulterior motives here, however. I truly believe that all mothers are saints,
so I just wanted to make it official. I
understand that Church policy might prevent that from actually happening, but I
wanted the mothers of the world to know how I feel.” That is a far cry from
judging women to be hastening humanity on its slippery slope downwards!
The Pope has also shown a degree
of compassion towards unmarried mothers who rejected an abortion, an attitude far
removed from any warnings of impending doom: saying that “your baby is welcome
for baptism”. During a recent homily at Mass, Francis said, “A girl-mother goes
to the parish to ask for baptism for her child and hears ‘a Christian’ say, ‘No,
you can’t have it, you’re not married.’ Look at this girl who had had the
courage to carry her pregnancy to term and not to have an abortion. What does
she find? A closed door... This is not good pastoral zeal, it distances people
from the Lord and does not open doors. So when we take this path…we are not
doing good to people, the People of God. Jesus instituted seven sacraments, and
with this approach we institute the eighth, the sacrament of the pastoral
customs office.”
Of course women are not sinless.
Men and women are probably equally susceptible to a few tempting suggestions
whispered into their ears by the Devil whom Fr Iannuzzi labours hard to dispel
from people’s lives. Yet there is hope. As
Pope Francis recently pointed out, the woman, a sinner, who anointed Jesus’
feet, “felt understood, loved, and she responded by a gesture of love: she let
herself be touched by God’s mercy, she obtained forgiveness and she started a
new life.” It is really not too difficult to find women who are outstanding in
goodness. They might never be officially recognised and made saints, but they
are more than ‘worthy of imitation’. Satan might be sexist, but women are far
from being his willing tools!
