Pope: Teachings of women Doctors of Church offer light and hope to our world
By Christopher Wells
The example of Sts Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Hildegard of Bingen; of Sts Bridget of Sweden and Theresa Benedicta of the Cross âhighlights some of the elements that make up that femininity so necessary to the Church and to the world,â Pope Francis said on Tuesday.
Light and hope for the world
In a message to an international academic conference on Women Doctors of the Church and the Co-Patronesses of Europe, the Pope said their âpreeminent teachings⌠are particularly timely due to their enduring depth and relevance, and in the present circumstances, can offer light and hope to our fragmented and fractious world.â
He noted that all of these women âoffered the witness of a holy life,â learning to be docile to the Holy Spirit through the grace of baptism, and drawing strength âfrom the love of God that filled their hearts.â
Necessary femininity
Pope Francis noted, âOur world today recognized that the dignity and intrinsic worth with which the Creator endowed them be restored to all women.â
In the female Doctors of the Church and Patrons of Europe, he said, we can see âelements that make up that femininity so necessary to the Church and the world,â including âthe courage to face difficulties; the capacity for being practical; a natural desire to promote what is most beautiful and human according to Godâs plan; and a far-sighted, prophetic vision of the world and of history.â
He also highlighted their great love for the Church and the Pope, while recognizing their call to help remedy the sins and sufferings of the ages in which they lived.
Feminine holiness
The Pope concluded his message with the hope that the conference might prove an incentive to promote âthat âfeminine holinessâ which makes the Church and the world so fruitful.â
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