Scottish Catholic Observer

“What does this ‘special’ entrusting’ of the human being to women signify?” the Pope asked delegates at the “God entrusts the human being to the woman” conference that closed on Saturday.

“It seems evident to me that my predecessor is returning to maternity.”

The Pope reflected on Pope John Paul II’s teachings on motherhood within the Catholic Church and the extent to which it as remained constant since the publication of the Mulieris Dignitatem letter 25 years previously.

“Many things can change and have changed in our cultural and social evolution, but the fact remains that it is the woman who conceives, carries in her womb and gives birth to the children of men,” Pope Francis said.

“This is not simply a biological matter, but carries a wealth of implications for the woman herself, for her way of being, for her relationships, for the way we lend respect to human life and to life in general.”

In his speech, the Pope warned that motherhood as a vocation was being destroyed by societal restrictions that set women aside with their “potential” and are not involved in “the building of community”, and also “a type of emancipation” that marginalizes men and denigrates feminine traits.

He also expressed his sadness that some women within the Church were seen to be doing duties out of “servidumbre’ (Spanish for “servitude”).

“It is not understood well what a woman ought to do,” the Pope said. “Can she be valued more?”

“I would like to underline how the woman has a particular sensitivity for the ‘things of God’, above all in helping us understand the mercy, tenderness and love that God has for us.”

“The Church is not ‘il Chiesa’, it is ‘la Chiesa’. The Church is a woman! The Church is a mother!”