Feminine Genius.
It's an attractive phrase, isn't it? It was a phrase used by the great Saint John Paul II in his Letter to Women, which was published in 1995.
As a Catholic woman, I have heard this phrase "feminine genius" thrown about in various circles with much emphasis, but usually not accompanied by much explanation. What does it actually mean? More importantly, what did St. John Paul II mean by it?
Now more than ever, it seems that people all to easily fall into the fallacy (whether it's an official one or not, I'm not sure) of borrowing terms and quotes from certain eloquent sources and using it to support their arguments and ideas without actually exploring the context of said term or quote. Out of concern that the term "feminine genius" has been lumped into such a fallacy, I write this post.
Particularly at present, the world we live in is all too fond of secularizing Christian messages. What this usually looks like is society will take bits and pieces of Christianity and will openly support those bits and pieces that are convenient for them to support. This will happen even if society openly supports movements that are directly opposed to the rest of the Christian message. And so, we can end up with a reading of this particular segment of John Paul II's Letter to Women where all that society takes note of is what's underlined and nothing else around it.
Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.
Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life.
Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity.
Thank you, women who work! You are present and active in every area of life-social, economic, cultural, artistic and political. In this way you make an indispensable contribution to the growth of a culture which unites reason and feeling, to a model of life ever open to the sense of "mystery", to the establishment of economic and political structures ever more worthy of humanity.
Thank you, consecrated women! Following the example of the greatest of women, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, you open yourselves with obedience and fidelity to the gift of God's love. You help the Church and all mankind to experience a "spousal" relationship to God, one which magnificently expresses the fellowship which God wishes to establish with his creatures.
Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.
If it's convenient, society might note that last paragraph, too, but only if it's convenient to whatever message is being purported.
This leads to an important question....
Have you read John Paul II's Letter to Women or Mulieris Dignitatem?
This is not the same thing as reading your favorite blogger's commentary on the documents. (That's right; I don't want you to just read what I have to say about these documents. Read them yourself.) If you want to know what St. John Paul II had to say about the feminine genius and the dignity of women, read his words. Sometimes we need a little help translating, since dear JPII is of a philosophical school of thought and his writings can be a little heavy; but take the time to read it if you can. The Letter to Women is very brief. Mulieris Dignitatem is significantly longer; but it will give you a fuller sense of the Church's teaching and position on women in the Church and in the world.
In his Letter to Women, St. John Paul II acknowledges and expresses great sorrow for the injustices, abuses, and violence that women have suffered in the past. He condemns the exploitation of women and the abuse of their sexuality. He condemns the injustices that are committed particularly against mothers and which do not view their pregnancy or their child as a gift. He expresses his gratitude and approval that much has been done to alleviate and overturn these injustices and abuses.
"This journey must go on!" he says. But then immediately he goes on: "But I am convinced that the secret of making speedy progress in achieving full respect for women and their identity involves more than simply the condemnation of discrimination and injustices, necessary though this may be. Such respect must first and foremost be won through an effective and intelligent campaign for the promotion of women, concentrating on all areas of women's life and beginning with a universal recognition of the dignity of women" (article 6).
He gives no sign of any approval of the common movement which approaches the raising up of women to the deprecation and degradation of men. He says in article 7:
We are then told that, from the very beginning, man has been created "male and female" (Gen 1:27). Scripture itself provides the interpretation of this fact: even though man is surrounded by the innumerable creatures of the created world, he realizes that he is alone (cf. Gen 2:20). God intervenes in order to help him escape from this situation of solitude: "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him" (Gen 2:18). The creation of woman is thus marked from the outset by the principle of help: a help which is not one-sided but mutual. Woman complements man, just as man complements woman: men and women are complementary. Womanhood expresses the "human" as much as manhood does, but in a different and complementary way.
When the Book of Genesis speaks of "help", it is not referring merely to acting, but also to being. Womanhood and manhood are complementary not only from the physical and psychological points of view, but also from the ontological. It is only through the duality of the "masculine" and the "feminine" that the "human" finds full realization (emphasis mine).
Thus, it is important to realize and acknowledge that, when John Paul II spoke about the "genius of women," he was not setting it up in opposition to the "genius of men." It was not that John Paul II was setting up the "genius of women" opposite what some might perceive as the "idiocy of men." Not at all! What was it then? It was the great saint's desire to show the mutual contributions of men and women. The emphasis is on women in this case because, as the Holy Father said previously, women have often been overlooked and abused in the past. Yes, this was unjust, and we can point fingers all day as to whose fault it was. But that isn't the point of John Paul II's letter. His point is not how do we place blame that is past, but how do we move forward into a brighter and more beautiful era?
But back to the main question: What is the feminine genius?
Well, let's read from the man himself (articles 9-10):
Progress usually tends to be measured according to the criteria of science and technology. Nor from this point of view has the contribution of women been negligible. Even so, this is not the only measure of progress, nor in fact is it the principal one. Much more important is the social and ethical dimension, which deals with human relations and spiritual values. In this area, which often develops in an inconspicuous way beginning with the daily relationships between people, especially within the family, society certainly owes much to the "genius of women".
Here I would like to express particular appreciation to those women who are involved in the various areas of education extending well beyond the family: nurseries, schools, universities, social service agencies, parishes, associations and movements. Wherever the work of education is called for, we can note that women are ever ready and willing to give themselves generously to others, especially in serving the weakest and most defenceless. In this work they exhibit a kind of affective, cultural and spiritual motherhood which has inestimable value for the development of individuals and the future of society. At this point how can I fail to mention the witness of so many Catholic women and Religious Congregations of women from every continent who have made education, particularly the education of boys and girls, their principal apostolate? How can I not think with gratitude of all the women who have worked and continue to work in the area of health care, not only in highly organized institutions, but also in very precarious circumstances, in the poorest countries of the world, thus demonstrating a spirit of service which not infrequently borders on martyrdom?
It is thus my hope, dear sisters, that you will reflect carefully on what it means to speak of the "genius of women", not only in order to be able to see in this phrase a specific part of God's plan which needs to be accepted and appreciated, but also in order to let this genius be more fully expressed in the life of society as a whole, as well as in the life of the Church. ...The Church sees in Mary the highest expression of the "feminine genius" and she finds in her a source of constant inspiration. Mary called herself the "handmaid of the Lord" (Lk 1:38). Through obedience to the Word of God she accepted her lofty yet not easy vocation as wife and mother in the family of Nazareth. Putting herself at God's service, she also put herself at the service of others: a service of love. Precisely through this service Mary was able to experience in her life a mysterious, but authentic "reign". It is not by chance that she is invoked as "Queen of heaven and earth". The entire community of believers thus invokes her; many nations and peoples call upon her as their "Queen". For her, "to reign" is to serve! Her service is "to reign"!
This is the way in which authority needs to be understood, both in the family and in society and the Church. Each person's fundamental vocation is revealed in this "reigning", for each person has been created in the "image" of the One who is Lord of heaven and earth and called to be his adopted son or daughter in Christ. Man [by which the Holy Father means humanity] is the only creature on earth "which God willed for its own sake", as the Second Vatican Council teaches; it significantly adds that [humans] "cannot fully find [themselves] except through a sincere gift of self" (Gaudium et Spes, 24) (emphasis mine).
In all that description of the "feminine genius" I find nowhere the persistent "men-bashing" that seems to have become not only acceptable, but also, I hate to say, popular these days. I have noticed this particularly in some of the more extreme feminist movements. It has reached a point where I will not publicly acknowledge myself to be a feminist, at least never in a situation where I would say that without any context being provided. Yes, I believe that men and women should have, as much as possible and appropriate, equal rights. But I also have an understanding of justice that is not the same as "fairness" or "sameness." Men and women should be treated justly and equally; that does not mean they should be treated "the same" in all situations.
Before anyone blows their top off, breathe. I do not mean that I approve of women being paid less for what they do or be forced to pay more for particular services. Absolutely not. However, part of justice is, as a professor of mine once said, "treating different things differently; treating different things the same remains unjust." If you go from a room full of only men to a room full of only women, I think you would note that there are differences. Differences in conversation, ways of thinking, expressions, demonstrations of affection, etc. God made man and woman equal; He did not make them the same. A favorite comedian of mine once said:
"We have people in this country who don't believe that any more: that men and women are different. Listen to me, all you have to do is be married for 10...15...minutes, and you will realize you are from different worlds."
We have been classically conditioned, particularly in America, to think that equality is synonymous with sameness. This isn't true. There are differences; and so, in the way that we men and women are cared for, there are bound to be differences, and, if we are operating in a truly just society, there should be differences. I cannot discipline a 4-year-old the same way I would discipline a 14-year-old. Why? Because they are not the same. They are equally persons, and equally in the wrong, but there remain fundamental differences between them that will bear significant weight in my disciplinary actions. If I am giving a gift, would I give the same gift to a 4-year-old girl as I would give to a 14-year-old boy? Unlikely.
The conflicts and confusion we see frequently today between men and women and their roles is rooted in the original sin. In this moment, both the man and the woman disregarded their God-given roles. The man failed to guard the garden as he had been asked, and he also failed to guard his wife. It says in Genesis that Adam was with Eve the whole time (if it doesn't say so in your Bible, it does say so in the original Hebrew). What was he doing? Why didn't he step in to protect his wife? Eve failed to call her husband on to holiness and instead led him to rebellion against God. The root of her action essentially was pride and hunger for power. The serpent tempted her with the idea that God did not care for them and was holding out on them; that He didn't want them to be as powerful as He was. Eve couldn't resist the idea that she could rise to greater heights by seizing this opportunity and taking for herself what God had forbidden (and, some speculate, would have given to them eventually when they were ready for it). Adam and Eve forgot that they were to be mutual helpers to one another, and as a result they fell. The consequences were grave. The relationship between the man and the woman became strained because now it had been weakened by sin and the loss of grace. Adam failed to guard his wife and so he would struggle now to provide for his family; life and labor would be more difficult. Eve had grasped at something that she was not ready for, desiring power, and so she would continue to desire after the role God had given to her husband. It is a strain on the relationship between the man and the woman, who were made to help each other reach the heights of holiness and eternity.
The Church has said, "The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience." Christ is the new Adam, Mary the new Eve, and the Cross is the new Tree. Therefore, if we want to live as we are called to live, we should look to Christ and Mary to show us true manhood and true womanhood. Mary did not grasp at the role she was given; she received it from the hand of God in the fullness of time. Christ did not shy away from the challenge or effort that was called for to save mankind from their sins, even when it meant laying down His life. He fought for His bride, the Church, and leads us to our heavenly home. John Paul II says, "for [Mary] to serve is to reign." The same is true of our Lord. His reign is one of service. He kneels at the feet of His disciples and washes their feet. He stoops beneath the weight of the Cross, the weight of all our sins, and suffers in our stead.
Our worldview has become distorted indeed if we think that grasping at power is natural or praiseworthy.
Now I am not saying that the role of women is to be meek and silent, which is often what people think of when they hear Mary is to be our model. But consider the saints: St. Joan of Arc stepped up to be a leader for her country in a time of great need. But God gave this role to her. It was certainly not what she had in mind for herself; but because it was God's will for her, she humbly accepted it and rose to the occasion by the help of His grace. Furthermore, a role that people do not often see the Blessed Virgin Mary has is that of warrior. But this is Scriptural. When the angel Gabriel greets Mary, he says: "Hail, full of grace!" This hearkens back to the greeting Gideon receives from Gabriel in the book of Judges: "Hail, mighty man of valor!" The word "valor" appears again in the book of Proverbs, chapter 31:10 ff. The Church recognizes this passage as descriptive of Mary as well. She is the woman of valor. How is she a warrior? She is a warrior in that she does God's will, even when it was very difficult and dangerous for her to do so. She received His Word in her heart and in her body, and as such she is the very first disciple. Her role as a warrior is less forward than that of Joan's perhaps, but it could never be called less worthy or less important. In fact, her "yes" and her silence has a great humility to it, and as such a tremendous holiness. Don't we admire those who do what is right and good outside of the spotlight? This was Mother Teresa's desire, even though she often appeared in the media: she desired to be allowed to just do God's will and show God's love to the poorest of the poor. This was much of Mary's life: silent service to God.
My brothers and sisters, do not be taken in by the secularization of such a beautiful teaching from the great St. John Paul II. The feminine genius is real and true; but it is not meant to be used as a point of opposition against our brothers in Christ. Our brothers in Christ face great struggles today as well, and frequently are put down in many ways. This is heightened by the truth that a man's greatest fear is failure. A woman's greatest fear is to be ignored. So how can we help each other? "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). Build one another up. Build up your brothers and sisters. Help them to see who they are: children of God, called to greatness, redeemed by Christ, and destined for a purpose (to follow Christ and to bring others to Him).
Until we meet again,
Pace e bene,
The Itinerant Catechist
