Pope Francis feels unfairly treated by the University of Louvain
Brüssel/Rom - The Pope has sparked protests with a speech at the University of Louvain. He defended the doctrine of the essential difference between men and women - and spoke out against equal roles for both genders in the church.
Published on 29.09.2024 at 17:15 –Pope Francis has defended his controversial remarks at the Catholic University of Louvain on the fundamental difference between men and women in the Church. On his return flight from Brussels to Rome on Sunday afternoon, he said that it was inhumane to masculinise women. The Church is feminine, she is the bride of Christ, therefore the feminine in the Church is more important than the masculine.
Anyone who does not understand this is not thinking hard enough and does not want to hear these words. "The woman is equal to the man, and in the life of the Church the woman is more important because the Church is feminine. The feminine mysticism is more important than the ministry of men," said the Pope. Saying this is not antiquated. Exaggerated feminism works just as little as masculinism.
The Pope harshly criticised the university's statement, which was distributed after his lecture on Saturday afternoon. In it, the university distanced itself from the Pope's words on the nature of women and condemned them as "reductionist". This statement had already been prepared while he was still speaking, the Pope complained. That was immoral.
Admonition to the Middle East
He also admonished the warring parties in the Middle East following the recent Israeli bombardments in Lebanon. All states must abide by international law and maintain the proportionality of attack and defence, he stressed. "I don't know the details. But defence must always be proportionate in the face of attacks. If it becomes disproportionate, a tendency towards supremacy becomes visible that goes beyond what is morally required."
The Pope continued: "When a country - no matter which country - does something so extreme with its armed forces, these are immoral actions. There are also moral standards in war. Even if war itself is immoral, the conventions of war indicate a certain moral order. But if you don't follow this, it shows, as they say in Argentina, the 'bad blood' of these actions." The Spanish phrase "mala sangre" means "mean" or "malicious" in German.
He also emphasised once again his call for the church to take a proactive approach to the issue of abuse. "I have listened to those affected by abuse, I believe this is a duty." He went on to say: "We have a responsibility to help those affected by abuse and to look after them." Some need psychological help, others also need financial support. Above all, the perpetrators must be punished, Francis emphasised. Abuse is not something temporary, but a psychiatric illness that needs to be treated. "No perpetrator of abuse can be left free in normal life, with responsibilities in parishes or schools," the Pope emphasised and continued: "The shame, indeed, is the cover-up." (cph/KNA)
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