In his weekly catechesis, Pope Francis reflected on the gender theory as he addressed tens of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. He stressed that differences between men and women are meant to complement one another and not trigger competition.
The Pope also said that 'sexual differentiation is not ordered to subordination, but to communion and procreation.' As far as the role of women, he went on to say that 'we sense the responsibility to do more in favor of [them] recognizing the weight and authority of their voices in society and the Church.'
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Continuing our catechesis on the family, today we reflect on the complementarity between man and woman. Scripture tells us that 'God created man in his own imageâ?¦ male and female he created themâ? (Gen 1:27).
Man and woman bear the image and likeness of God not only as individuals, but also together. In Godâ??s plan, sexual differentiation is not ordered to subordination, but to communion and procreation.
This reciprocity brings harmony and enrichment to the human family. But it also presents a constant challenge; that men and women learn how to speak to one another, and to respect and love each other. Nowadays, we sense the responsibility to do more in favour of women, recognizing the weight and authority of their voices in society and the Church. We must also ask ourselves to what extent societyâ??s loss of faith in God is related to the crisis of that covenant. The challenge faced by the Church, and by all believers and families, is to rediscover the beauty of Godâ??s plan, the imprint of his image in the covenant between man and woman.
