THE PRIEST, WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Philippine law states that “the State values the dignity of women and children and guarantees full respect for human rights. The State also recognizes the need to protect the family and its members particularly women and children, from violence and threats to their personal safety and security” (R.A. 9262, Sec. 2). For such there are also quite a number NGO’s which serves to protect and promote the rights of women and children. One of these is the Lihok Filipina Foundation, Inc. whose executive director is Mrs. Teresa B. Fernandez, our invited speaker on this topic.

Lihok Filipina aims to organize women and their families and to respond to issues affecting them. Our speaker had informed of a number of advocacies in which this foundation is involved with. And it is much awful to learn from her the statistics on the violence against women and children. She was also discussing about gender sensitivity that gave insights on the equality of women and men as human beings. It is culture that has been creating a gap or discriminating the women from men. Feminine functions are not recognized and sometimes underestimated. But in the real sense there is value of how a woman functions. The only inappropriate thing is that these functions are hidden and private, the reason why these are subordinated.

Thus, it is just timely and fitting to recognize and be grateful to the value and contribution of every woman. The late Pope John Paul II has written: “the Church gives thanks for each and every woman: for mothers, for sisters, for wives; for women consecrated to God in virginity; for women dedicated to the many human beings who await the gratuitous love of another person; for women who watch over the human persons in the family, which is the fundamental sign of the human community; for women who work professionally, and who at times are burdened by a great social responsibility; for "perfect" women and for "weak" women - for all women as they have come forth from the heart of God in all the beauty and richness of their femininity; as they have been embraced by his eternal love; as, together with men, they are pilgrims on this earth, which is the temporal "homeland" of all people and is transformed sometimes into a "valley of tears"; as they assume, together with men, a common responsibility for the destiny of humanity according to daily necessities and according to that definitive destiny which the human family has in God himself, in the bosom of the ineffable Trinity” (Mulieris Dignitatem, 41).

In the church, we need to educate people on the value of women and not to treat them as secondary people. We need to purify the culture which looks at women as helpers and subordinate of men. This would effectively start at the family. We have to recognize the very important role of women in the home as well as in the community. In the home, the work of women as housekeepers are not given due importance or it is not even counted as work. In the society a double standard morality is observable.

The priest must have to encourage gender sensitivity to counter gender war. In the parish we see more women becoming active in the lay apostolate. But men have also their own groups and there is a need to encourage them to cultivate a growing appreciation of the value and importance of women. This is to eradicate the existence of a gender divide. There is also a need to give more emphasis on the relationship of women and men which is that of complementarity or complementation.

With all these views and aspirations the proper use of power is much important. The power which is the capacity to do things to influence people can be used to advance the appreciation and respect of the proper dignity of women as well as that of children. It is not a “power over” and “power against”. It is rather a positive use of power is “power to”, “power with” and “power within”. Through these schemes there would be a smooth working relationship with others and a recognition of the power within each individual.Considering the lot violence against women and children in the localities, the priest really has a great role in helping these women and children. The priest has the power to promote good values in the parish. He can also work hand in hand with groups who have advocacies for the protection of women and children. There is also a wider opportunity to organize the parish or some of the parishioners to become proactive to respond to the present needs of women and children. Women and children comprise a weaker sector of our society and the Church must be at their side as what Jesus did in his ministry. Jesus in the Gospels always sided with the weak and marginalized groups of society. This could be enough reason why the Church should take care of this sector.