The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-01-30
Woman

pralSeu."
There ia scarcely any subject of though
in the philosophy of morals that has al
tracted the attention of the Church NOR
| strongly, or to which she has devoted NOR
grave consideration than the condition G
woman in the world, for she wisely cor
cluded that the permanent maintenance o
the moral law in controlling and directin!
in great measure ON the relationship ex
listing between the sexes. Unconnected
she holds that both stand equal before
God, have, equal privileges, equal though
sometimes different duties, aud equal re
sponsibilities. Connected by the sacra
mental tie Of marriage, the Church has the
words of our Blessed Redeemer for the
relation she has established between. them
Z" they two shall be one flesh"
In all the heather nations of old woman
was the mere slave of man, the plaything
of his idle hours, creature made for his
use, convenience and service. Her life was
in his hands. The fathers if she excited
his Indignation, or the husband if she
moved his jealousy, could put her to death
without reference to any legal tribunal.
This was not SO, of course, from the begin
ming, but when man forgot God, and reject
ed the revelation which He had given him
through Adam, woman was degraded from
the position in the household which she
was originally created to occupy, and be-
came his slave. Of all the nations of an
tiGuity, the Israelites alone seemed to real
ize the true POSITION OF woman, to afford
her the protection of the law, and to look
upon her with respect, though in the latter
days of their history, when they became
gross and sensual, and demoralfzed by their
intercourse and association with their hea-
then neighbOrs, they were too often forget
full of the law. Even among the Greeks
and Romans, in the days of their most adj
vanced civilization, when education was
highly cultivated, and great advances had
been made in general literature, biography,
history, rhetoric, philosophy and mathe
matics, though woman by her personal
beauty, intellectual requirements and con-
powers, sometimes succeeded
in placing herself ON an apparent level
with man, she was always made to feel that
own personal qualities and her powers of
pleasing, and to the magnanimity of man,
,ather than to any right inherent in her.
She was bought and sold, and married and
divorced in those days, as she is in some
now, and those old Greeks and
boosted of their civilization, and
JAILED outside nations barbarians, and, no
ioubt, thought that their indulgence in the
reedom of luxurious and licentious plea
ures, and the entire absence of all moral
-.~.-.:..-sy OVIuences OF 'GHelr noerty |
nd their progress, like many of our present
After the death and resurrection of our
4ord, when the Apostles in the furtherance |
f the mission they had received, organized |
he Church, many old principles and duties
which had existed from the beginning, but
lad long been forgotten by the heathens
md neglected by the Israelites, were re.
lived and re-established for all time.
among them was the equality of woman |
,efore the Church in matters of faith, duty |
nd responsibility. Even if they had not
he express teaching of our Lord, and the |
guidance of His Holy Spirit, by which they
we're directed in everything, they had the
of the many good women who
we're known in Jerusalem in that day, and
ome of whom are named in the gospels.
But more than all and above all; they had
With them Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the
Mother of our LORD, who had borne him
n -heF-ewh- fes4i,,wifo- had-hetd- him in
Ter arms thFeaSt-the years of childhood |
nd who loved him with all the fond devo-
ion of mother and the fervid faith of
christian. They remembered also how the |
Ove and respect which he had for her, and !
er influence with him were illustrated by
is first miracle at Cana, in Gallilee, which
e performed to please her, though, as he
aid, "My hour has notyet come" Fully &C
tainted with the character of our Blessed
Iother, her devotion to her Divine Son and
0 his mission, her. patient sorrow at his
cath, her joy at his resurrection, the gen