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Filipina congresswoman refutes Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger |
|
 Filipina congresswoman refutes Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's letter
re Catholic women. In light of his becoming Pope, this article is a
refresher of what can be expected from him. (Sigh!) -- ac
FEMINISM IS HUMANISM
Privilege Speech by Akbayan Rep. Ana Theresia Hontiveros Baraquel
August 9, 2004
"Ginoong Speaker, ginagalang na mga
kapwa Kongresista, mga kabaro at
kapatid na lalaki, magandang hapon pos a inyong lahat!
My party, Akbayan, deeply protests the "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic
Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World"
written by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Offices of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith last 31 May 2004 in Rome and approved and ordered
to be published by Pope John Paul II.
In the spirit of sisterly correction, I ask why, in the latter years of a Pope
who has meant so much to us in many of humanity's struggles for democratization,
social justice and a humanist culture and ecological healing, among others, the
Vatican has seen fit to reaffirm its earlier, painful marginalization of the
feminist movement from these parallel strivings for a fully human life. Just
like all sisters living under Islam, all sisters practicing the indigenous
spiritualities of their ancestors, all feminists who profess a faith and whose
political consciousness and social involvement were formed in great part by this
influence, I say, we, too, are Church. We appeal to its leadership not to turn a
blind eye to the role and gains of the feminist movement in building more humane
societies, and to re-examine the virtual abandonment of this movement embodied
in the Cardinal's letter.
In his introduction to the "question of the dignity of women and women's rights
and duties in the different areas of civil society and the Church," the Cardinal
wrote of "certain currents of thought which are often at variance with the
authentic advancement of women." Feminism is precisely a world view that
celebrates the feminine principle alongside the masculine in all of life and
upholds the dignity, rights and responsibilities of women in that context. Are
these not positive energies that can propel the authentic advancement of women?
Does the Cardinal not recognize women and feminist's capacities for discernment
and self-criticisms in these matters? And did he seek out and listen to the
voices of women in the Church, both lay and religious, who bear the multiple
burden of running the Vatican and other institutional households, engaging in
various apostolates and missions throughout the world and witnessing to their
faith in all arenas of human endeavor?
In his identification of currents of thought on the question of women, the
Cardinal wrote that "a first tendency is to emphasize strongly conditions of
subordination in order to give rise to antagonism: women in order to be
themselves, must make themselves the adversaries of men €¦ the identity and role
of one are emphasized to the disadvantage of the other." The adversity is
precisely rooted in and exacerbated by these very conditions of subordination in
our innermost selves and our most intimate relationships up to our societal
institutions. How can we free ourselves unless we recognize this truth? We must
name and respond to these conditions in order to resolve the antagonisms. In
this, we seek and gladly accept the solidarity of feminist men, just as we
struggle against macho tendencies within our own selves and ranks as women. We
seek, not another power over others, but power within ourselves and with others.
The Cardinal wrote of feminism that "lead(s) to harmful confusion regarding the
human person, which has its most immediate and lethal effects in the structure
of the family, it natural two-parent structure of father and mother, and make(s)
homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of
polymorphous sexuality." Can the Cardinal not concede that women and feminists
also have clarity and insight regarding the human person, equal to and as deep
as his? More that its structure, feminism recognizes and appreciates the spirit
of the family, its traditional and alternative models of human beings in
committed relationships of mutual caring, building homes together and bringing
forth new generations to inhabit the earth. These are diverse expressions of
human solidarity that feminism celebrates.
The Cardinal wrote of feminism that "in this perspective, physical difference
termed sex, is minimized, while the purely cultural element, termed gender, is
emphasized to the maximum and held to be primary." On the contrary, the first
thing inquired about a new-born baby is precisely his or her sex. Whatever
family, school, economic sector or community we are a part of, a large part of
our history, opportunities and destiny is tied up with whether we are female or
male. The seed of women's captivity and liberation of our selves and of others
is embedded in our womanhood, whatever our location in society. Feminists
challenge society's cultural constructs as they entrench political and economic
structures and strive to create new constructs and radically reform structures
through gender sensitivity and justice.
The Cardinal wrote of feminism that "strengthens the idea that the liberation of
women entails criticism of Sacred Scripture, which would be seen as handling on
a patriarchal conception of God nourished by an essentially male-dominated
culture. Second, this tendency would consider as lacking in importance and
relevance the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature in its male form."
This is the most startling part of his letter to the Catholic bishops. Feminists
criticize not Scripture, but some of its patriarchal interpretations that
exclude women from the promise of fully human life in our male-dominated
societies. Wasn't the New Testament and Jesus's proclamation of the commandments
of loving God and our neighbor a critical take on the Old Testament? Does the
Cardinal not appreciate the role of positive, critical discourse within the
Church in revealing the rich meanings of Scripture? The Catholic Church would be
poorer as an actor in the world if not for the critical perspectives of
liberation theology, creation theology and yes, feminist theology, among others.
And no feminist debates the fact the Jesus was born a man. Instead, we Catholic
feminists cherish Jesus Christ as a feminist man and a sign of the feminine
principle in God. Akbayan is interested to learn through interfaith dialogues
how Muslim feminists and feminists of other spiritualities would view similar
questions about their Sacred Scriptures, about God and about their holy prophets
as these questions impact on their actions in our societies.
On the importance of feminine values in the life of society, the Cardinal wrote
that "although a certain type of feminist rhetoric makes demand s "for
ourselves," women preserve the deep intuition of the goodness in their lives of
those actions which elicit life, and contribute to the growth and protection of
the other." There is no compartmentalization, let alone contradiction between
caring for ourselves as women and caring for other. We are enabled to elicit
life, care for its growth and protect it in various ways as dynamically as we
are supported in achieving quality of life for women, surviving victimization
and moving on to dignity and achieving substantive representation in society,
among other. Authentic humanism recognizes that relationships to our selves,
others, society, the material world and a transcendent are intimately linked to,
not torn apart from and placed in an illusory opposition to each other.
The Cardinal wrote that "it cannot be forgotten that the interrelationship
between these two activities - family and work - has, for women, characteristics
different from those in the case of men." Akbayan appreciates his calls for a
just valuing of the work of women within the family and households, and
economic, legal and cultural support for women, whether we choose to be
full-time homemakers or work as well outside the home, as measures to bridge the
historic production-reproduction divide. I add my party's concern that similar
encouragement be given men who wish to work more within the home, because the
characteristics of the interrelationship between family and work are more
similar than different for women and men.
Just as the basic sectors struggle for their basic sectoral agendas - women in
these sectors struggle also particularly for women's access to the benefits of
assets reform and support services in male-oriented programs, for gender
sensitivity in macho sectoral formations, government agencies and private sector
entities; and for representation in indigenous institutions. Conscientious women
and men struggle for the radicalization and reform of our crisis-ridden
democratic institutions and processes, for a humane model of global economic
interrelationships in which the common good of humanity and all creation is the
bottomline, not the capital and profit championed by neo-liberal globalization;
for humane and liberating cultures. Feminism has a shared tradition and a
continuing complementary role to play these struggles.
President Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation 622 on 29 April 2004 declaring
the year 2005 as the centennial year of the feminist movement in the
Philippines. May she hold fast and not be deterred by the Vatican's criticism of
feminism, as she had been wont in the past to buckle to pressure from Catholic
Church leaders on gender issues. To borrow from one of the greatest public
servants in the Catholic tradition, she may be the Church hierarchy's dutiful
daughter, but she is the people's servant first.
Mr. Speaker, respected colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, Akbayan appeals to you
to critically reflect on the Cardinal's letter and the responses of the feminist
movement in this predominantly Catholic country, especially in the midst of our
current legislative debates on reproductive health, a population policy, social
justice, anti-corruption measures and sustainable development. This morning,
feminists from various organizations walked in the rain to the office of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to deliver a response letter to
the Cardinals. Akbayan hopes that our bishops will engage feminists in a
positive dialogue on this matter so close to our hearts, and that the House of
Representatives will take this into consideration as we create a policy
environment for human development in our country.
Marami pong salamat sa inyong lahat !"
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Posted on Thursday, May 19 @ 14:01:11 CDT by don |
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