Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of April 2024, and invites everyone to pray for the role of women.
Pope Francis’ monthly prayer intention this April is for “the role of women.”
The Pope invited the Church to pray for this intention in this month’s The Pope Video, which is entrusted to the entire Catholic Church through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
In The Pope Video for April, the Holy Father insists on the steps today’s society needs to take, and asks Christians to join him in prayer “that the dignity and worth of women be recognized in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.”
Pope Francis’ denunciation
The Pope in his video illustrates the huge gap that exists between declared principles and actual practice.
“In theory, we all agree that men and women have the same dignity as persons. But this does not play out in practice,” he noted.
The Pope provides concrete examples, citing “discriminatory laws” currently in force: mandatory dress codes, impediments to ongoing education, denial of assistance for job opportunities. And he recalls that “in many countries, genital mutilation is still practiced.”
Thus, he said, “governments need to commit to eliminate” this discrimination and “work toward guaranteeing women’s human rights.”
He asks us all to respect women, who unfortunately continue to be treated “like something to get rid of,” and who are often victims of violence and abuse in many parts of the world, even in countries claiming to be more advanced. “And if we don’t [respect women],” the Pope adds, “our society will not progress.”
Contradictions still exist
According to a press release by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, contradictions are not lacking in today’s world.
Whereas in some countries, women have access to education and employment, and occupy leadership roles in businesses and organizations, many still do not enjoy the same opportunities as men.
In the job market, less than one in two women in the world, work, and women earn 23% less than men. The same goes for education, when we consider that women who are literate are in the minority in some countries. For example, the rate is 23%; in Niger, 27%.
Fewer opportunities translate into enormous economic difficulties.
According to UN Women, it is estimated that by 2030 8% of women and girls will live in extreme poverty, and 25% of women will not have enough to eat.
Heroines of all times
Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, reflected on this month’s intention, recalling that “from the beginning, Jesus welcomed women as His disciples. This was a novelty in the society of that time.”
“As the Gospels testify,” he stressed, “Jesus’ mother Mary held a prominent place among the Apostles and in the early community.” He also observed that Jesus entrusted the mission of announcing His Resurrection to a woman, Mary Magdalene.
Throughout history, Fr. Fornos reminded, women have contributed to the spiritual dynamism in the Church, citing in a special way Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Catherine of Siena, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, all of whom are Doctors of the Church, along with countless other female saints.
Image: Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
The full text of the Pope’s prayer intention is below:
In many parts of the world, women are treated like the first thing to get rid of.
There are countries where women are forbidden to access aid, open a business, or go to school. In these places, they are subject to laws that make them dress a certain way. And in many countries, genital mutilation is still practiced.
Let us not deprive women of their voice. Let us not rob all these abused women of their voice. They are exploited, marginalized.
In theory, we all agree that men and women have the same dignity as persons. But this does not play out in practice.
Governments need to commit to eliminate discriminatory laws everywhere and to work toward guaranteeing women’s human rights.
Let us respect women. Let us respect their dignity, their basic rights. And if we don’t, our society will not progress.
Let us pray that the dignity and worth of women be recognized in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.
With thanks to Vatican News and Deborah Castellano Lubov, where this article originally appeared.
