Introduction

n the apostolic letter significantly entitled Mulieris Dignitatem (The Dignity of Woman),  John Paul II has shown, among other things, that the veneration given by Catholics to Mary is not at all irrelevant to the value and dignity of womanhood.

Marian devotion is not only a form of piety; it implicitly signals an attitude toward woman as woman. If our time, especially the last century has been characterized as growing in various ramifications of feminism, it might be said that this trend was often a reaction to the lack of respect and equality granted to women.

With this anthology The Mary Page wants to highlight the Christian image of woman.

The first part considers WOMEN IN SACRED SCRIPTURE introducing OT women as types of Mary and showing some examples of NT women and their encounters with Jesus.

Next, we will take a look at THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND WOMEN.  As the masterpiece of re-creation, Mary is a model for women of all states of life and time. In our time, the bases for the consolidation of the position of women, not only within the family but also as to her social and cultural life, need to be redefined. For this purpose, it is imperative to return to the person of Mary. The Marian ideal and the attachment to her person when lived out in its fullness, become a powerful and creative inspiration in this quest.  Such a perspective could encourage women to reflect upon their condition and vocation.  It also represents a challenge to radical feminism, seeking to abolish all differences between women and men, as well as to those who seek to perpetuate women's subordination to men.

What has been the Church’s position with regard to the changing image of woman during the twentieth century? We offer a synopsis of MAGISTERIAL DOCUMENTS ON WOMEN as well as a presentation of the place of women in the CANON LAW ON WOMAN.

There has never been a Roman Pontiff before who dedicated as much attention to women as John Paul II. In the fifth segment we offer some selected COMMENTARIES about JOHN PAUL II’s contribution to contemporary reflections about women and their role in church and society.  This is followed by ANTHROPOLOGICAL ISSUES and sOCIAL iSSUES regarding women in order to counter the image of woman as  object of pleasure  in contemporary civilization.  It is very significant that in the midst of this very situation an authentic theology of woman is being reborn, i.e. that the spiritual beauty of women is being rediscovered.

Finally, we will conclude with a section on Women role models.

The Bibliography highlights further suggestions for reading and research.

The Mary Page’s segment dedicated to women’s issues will be updated periodically featuring current developments.

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