By: Luciana Reali
The question of the role of woman in the family and in the
workplace has most typically been approached through a secular
lens. The law derives its perspective on women, individually
and collectively, from socially and culturally constructed images
of women, which are inherently flawed. Even if we fit none of these
descriptions, the law perceives us as all of them, due to their
pervasiveness in modern American society.
Many people, including Catholics, believe that gender bias
exists in the Catholic Church (“the Church”), based upon the
Church’s positions on contemporary women’s issues, such as its
refusal to ordain women priests. However, examination of the
Church’s teaching reveals that Catholic Social Thought (“CST”) on
women, from ancient biblical sources through modern encyclical
teachings, and especially developments during the papacy of John
Paul II, has as its foundation an overarching concern with the
dignity of women. Therefore, if feminist legal theory is
reconciled with and informed by the principles of CST, it will be
possible to create a “new social reality” for women.
CST, from ancient biblical sources through modern Church
writings, as well as works of progressive thinkers within the
Church such as the Gospel feminists, affirms and celebrates the
value and dignity of women. These teachings and the strides
that the women’s movement has made over the past fifty years
inspire hope that there will be greater empowerment and a “new
social reality” for women in the Church and in society in the near
future.