John Paul II's Mulieris Dignitatem: Summary

Introduction

Mulieris Dignitatem is an Apostolic Letter written by Pope John Paul II on the dignity and vocation of women. Published on 15 August, 1988, the letter advocates for Christian complementarianism. It is in this text that Pontiff expresses the complementary roles of men and women in a philosophical spectrum of new feminism. The letter promotes a vision that centres on three core aspects. The three are complementarity, equality, and communion between man and woman. Pope John Paul II takes the opportunity to expound on the role and value of women with regards to the church, family, and society.

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Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter emphasises the fundamental role of woman's love and her sensitive nature that reflects her femininity to others. Mulieris Dignitatem explores the unique nature of women by explaining the physical and spiritual dimensions of marriage, virginity, and motherhood. John Paul II cites several women who have made significant contributions to the Church and society at large. Virgin Mary is the centre of focus in this text, where she is referred to as the archetype of woman and the "New Eve."

Mulieris Dignitatem reveals how man and woman were created in the image and likeness of God. In the letter, the Pontiff clearly demonstrates that "the human race, which takes its origin from the calling into existence of man and woman, crowns the whole work of creation; both man and woman are human beings to an equal degree, both are created in God's image." He illustrates that man and woman are relational beings and that the two come to understand the strength they possess through a sincere gift of self.

Mulieris Dignitatem widens the scope of the position occupied by women in marriage. To this end, the Pope observes that marriage is not only meant as a way to exist side by side but also to mutually live for each other. The aspect of equality is expounded on to encompass a mutual interaction that is complimentary in nature. According to the Pontiff, man and woman are different only in their physical attributes. Their inner beings are viewed from an ontological perspective. Pope John Paul II elaborates how the principle of mutual being between man and woman came into existence. He refers to this as the interpersonal communion. To the Pontiff, womanhood is the development of humanity itself in which God integrates masculinity and femininity.

Mulieris Dignitatem also emphasises the particularity of womanhood by referring to the female human being as the "genius." The aspect of intelligence, as pointed out by the Pope, is how God created woman to be open to others. She is open to God's love just like the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Virgin gave love both as a mother and as a female. Motherhood, in the view of Pope John Paul II, is a spiritual aspect of human existence. The Catholic Church views the role of a woman through the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of God and the Mother of all churches. The Pope's Apostolic Letter reinforces this view with the following words: "A woman's dignity is closely connected with the love which she receives by the very reason of her femininity, and likewise connected with the love which she gives in return...... Woman can only hand herself by giving love to others."

The woman is supposed to exhibit endurance the same way the Blessed Virgin Mary did at the foot of the cross. The compassion she exhibited at the cross reveals how a woman can bring healing around her. Pope John Paul II is of the view that Mary's suffering brings to the fore the sensitive nature of the woman. It is this responsive nature that plays a critical role in the society.

Mulieris Dignitatem presents woman's goodness, which prevails over evil. Here, the Apostolic Letter represents the female as a tool used against evil. Her love is seen as the perfect basis for peace and justice in the world. Pope John Paul II says that a woman's dignity dictates the order of love that is essentially that of justice and charity. The Pontiff writes, "A woman is strong because of her awareness of this entrusting, strong because of the fact that God entrusts the human being to her...and she becomes...an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people, who perceive the great energies of her spirit."

The Concept of Feminine GeniusTo fully understand Pope John Paul II's Mulieris Dignitatem on woman's vocation and dignity, the author of this paper embarks on a mission to review and analyse the concept of "feminine genius." To have a clear picture of feminine genius, the writer first highlights Edith Stein's works. Today, Stein is regarded as the precursor of the new feminism. A Carmelite nun, a teacher, and also a philosopher of the church, she provides a working definition of feminine genius as a natural ability bestowed upon women to seek and embrace that which is "living, personal, and whole." She further contextualised the term by asserting that although the previous definition is mainly for generalisation, "No woman is only woman; like man, each has her individual specialty and talent." Stein continues to expound on the aspect of feminine genius as a view of womanhood and as an inclination to "cherish, guard, protect, nourish, and advance growth." As a precursor to new feminism, Pope John Paul II appears to adopt Stein's definition, which is briefly envisaged in encyclical Evangelium Vitae. Here, the Pontiff writes about "The Gospel of Life" in section 99. It is not clear if his texts were citing St. Teresa Benedicta (Stein). What is evident is that his views, which are expressed in these scholarship works, greatly support each other. John Paul II writes:

In transforming culture so that it supports life, women occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and decisive. It depends on them to promote a "new feminism" which rejects the temptation of imitating models of "male domination," in order to acknowledge and affirm the true genius of women in every aspect of the life of society and overcome all discrimination, violence, and exploitation.

Pope John Paul II further defines feminine genius by describing the concept as "the moral and spiritual strength of a woman." According to the Pontiff, this is a connection awareness in which God entrusts humanity to a woman in a special way. The Pope also clarifies this description by pointing out that "God entrusts every human being to each and every other human being." To highlight the critical role of women in the Church, the definition provided by the Pontiff emphasises the concept of feminine genius as a call to not only the entire humanity but also as a separate mission in the missionary. He rightly observes that "entrusting" God implies a mission that recognises womanhood in a special way, precisely through femininity identity. It is a phenomenon that dictates the woman's vocation.

The concept of feminine genius brings to the fore the understanding of women as a form of care thinking. Carol Gilligan regards the concept of care thinking as a network with various relationships. The observation denotes the notion behind this argument. Similarly, the idea of care thinking is captured in the works of Stein where the scholar refers to empathy in which the approach to womanhood sustains various relationships in the society. It is what Carol Gilligan refers to as a moral imperative. For Gilligan, the focus of care thinking is centred on both nurture and responsibility to the other. The concept of feminine genius epitomises the respect and dignity accorded the entire humanity in the midst of woman's personal distinction for womanhood. Stein rightly points out that there is no profession that cannot be practiced by a woman. She continues to say that women have the potential and capabilities to execute duties in both public and domestic realms. The concept of feminine genius is personified by this human species across the board by working both at the community level and in the Church.

The Feminine Genius in Mulieris DignitatemIf the aspect of feminine genius is critically examined, especially after Mulieris Dignitatem, one can begin to see its effects with regards to the role women play in the Church. One can determine whether or not this duty is a reflection of greatness of the female mission. The idea is explained clearly by Leonie Westenberg. In this text, the difference appears through the role played by lay men and women in Post Conciliar Church. The Second Council is referred in many theologian scholarly works as "the light of the church and the light of the world." Pope John XXIII strived for the goal of aggiornamento in which he saw the need to renew and bring the Church up-to-date with the idea that serving the world that has undergone widespread political and social change is the responsibility of everyone. The challenge in the contemporary world is to explore the roles available to women in such a way as to reflect the greatness of their mission. The most urgent question is what the fruits of Mulieris Dignitatem are fifty years after the Council. The results have been echoed by various scholars and Pontiffs over the history of the Catholic Church. For example, in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI made an observation in reference to lay vocation and ministry. The Pope wrote that this was a positive fruit that is attributed to Mulieris Dignitatem.

However, Pope Benedict XVI, together with those that came in the years after Mulieris Dignitatem, observed that there are crises of faith among Catholic Christians. For example, according to Benedict XVI, there is apathy towards the faith and the Christian religion. The Pope observes that the lethargy is due to the fact that many women are experiencing disenfranchisement and exclusion as far as religion is concerned. The supposition is supported by Dorr Donal. The scholar observes that in most cases, women experience exclusion from the society. Few of them have found their rightful place in the church and little compassion for their difficult circumstances. As noted in Lumen Gentium, in the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church has achieved perfection and should show motherly love in its missionary works. The maternal affection should be extended to other women inside and outside the Church, including those that are marginalised through gender ascriptions and poverty.

The aspect of motherly love is used by Pope John Paul II to mean "feminine genius" and what is referred to as spiritual motherhood. The quality of feminine genius is modelled by the church in its pastoral programs, such as Educating on the Nature of Dignity Of Women (ENDOW). More importantly, the idea is expounded on by Janet Smith. It is explained to mean spiritual midwifery, which presents women with an opportunity to establish the...