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The Role of Women in Politics and Society

This show was broadcast on Radio Maria Ireland on Friday 26th August 2016

In probing the fact that people no longer marry young, it looks at the address of Pope Pius XII in 1945 to Women titled “Women’s Duties in Social and Political Life:” to see if this can shed any light on the late marriage phenomenon.

You can get a transcript HERE

You can listen to the show HERE

Pope Pius XII is clear with regard to what he considers to be the primary role and duty of women and that is motherhood and the home.  He recognises however that after the second world war there is a shortage of men and that many women have entered into the political and social life of nations some of whom work to undermine the family and the home.  He appeals mainly to single women and widows without children to give of their time to counteract these negative forces saying that they must “work for the restoration of the home, of the family, and of society.”

This is a message which I fear that many women and men in today’s world would rather not hear. I conclude my talk by saying

“We live in a morally sick society, and if the foundation of society is the family, which it is, then this indicates that most of our families are morally sick too. The job of Catholics, particularly Catholic fathers, and Catholic mothers but particularly the Catholic fathers, has not changed since Pope Pius XII addressed his concerns to women in 1945. We are called to promote and to protect Catholic family life. The future of the Church depends on it, the future of society depends on it. The increase in the Kingdom of God, called for by God in the very first chapter of the book of Genesis, and the salvation of souls depends primarily on the promotion and safeguarding of the Catholic family.”