The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-06-28

|
her dignity denied her by pre-Chris-
tian gentle nations. The ancient rec.
ords of India, China and Japan show
the degraded position of woman
Among the classical nations of Greece
and Rome her position was somewhat
improved, but her equality was not
recognized. Mohammed and the Koran
established yet greater feminine
degradation for women.
Against this treatment, the Church
| has protested and has ever sought to
establish the true position of woman.
| 1t will perhaps, therefore, be helpful
for us to recall some unquestionable
principles regarding the position of
| woman, Catholic education and JUS
| tice
1t is Almighty God that has created
male and female. Each as an indi-
vidual is the work of God, each equal
in His sight, created for heaven. This
| is GOdgiven equality of the spiritual
order, which is above every other con-
sideration and before which social,
economic and Intellectual equalities
are to be compared as chaff to the
wheat. The position of woman should
be such that each individual of her
sex may attain her perfection in the
moral order which is the chief purpose
of her creation.
1t is the same God Who has made
difference in the sexes by which one
compliments the other and by which
one man and one woman represent
completely human nature. From this
difference naturally arise duties
which vary in the domestic society of
| the home and in the social order. No
revolutionary changes, no calling of
women to public life to fill positions
and to discharge duties must fail to
take cognizance of the God-made diff
ferences of the sexes and of the func-
tions which they must perform accord
ing to right reason, revealed truth and
the teaching of Christ's Church. In
the physical order neither woman's S
strength nor power of endurance are
equal to mans. 1t is not allowable
llIdL ollc utlocIl, hui IL pei
that employers require her to overtaX
her strength and power which unfit
her for the duties of her sex. These
are limitations placed by nature and
sanctioned by grace. Such limitations
necessarily affect the industrial,
domestic and social orders. Many
condemn the transgression of those
natural limitations because i'll health
follows, or because women delay in
entering into, or unfit themselves for
the married state. AS the Catholic
Church falls down before the majesty
of God and acknowledges His supreme
dominion, she does not stop at the
condemnation of these for merely
natural reasons. She also acknowl-
edges every law of nature as sacred
and she inculcates respect for the per-
formance of every duty which is to be
| carried out in compliance with ma
ture's laws or according to any restric-
tions which Almighty God has placed.
We must respect natures laws be-
cause they come from God. Grace and
| the supernatural do not destroy
nature, but they elevate and perfect it.
The Church has ever desired that
woman so maintain herself and give
the service to society and to religion
| for which she is fitted by reason of
her sex and by those qualities and
perfections which belong to her, either
in the state of blessed virginity, holy
,i<>I
State of Virginity.
The Catholic Church holds up the
state of virginity as excelling that OF
the married life for men as we'll as
| for women. She does not urge all to
| embrace it, but only those who from
| the highest motives wish to give their
best attention to God and to the
things of the Spirit for their own and
! their neighbor's sanctification. In
these days of expediency, false appear
| ances and pragmatism and the promul-
! cation of false principles, teachings
surely the doctrine of the Church on
the excellence and preference of vir-
ginity for women consecrating them
selves to God either in the religious
state or in life of single blessedness
governed only by the highest super
natural motives, is a light shining out
| in the darkness. Calculate the work
| the Church effects for civilization, fol
the poor and the aged, for the orphan
for the sick and suffering and dying
for the cause of education, for the
benefit of state and Church by an
army of noble, selfless women-vir
gins consecrated to God-in great
variety of religious orders In the
United States we have more than sixty
thousand such women. Before the
outbreak of the war there were, it
recall figures rightly, in the foreign
pagan field, as civilizing influences
fifty thousand nuns. Every country
has these noble women in great mum
bers. Who will say that the worl
they have done could be SO well done
if they were not in a state of single
blessedness and governed by the
highest supernatural motives Agar
the work of the celibate clergy
throughout the world commands the
respect and receives the commenda
ton of honest thinking men and
women not of the Catholic faith.
i practical pleasure-seeking world little
concerned with God, religion and tht