Catholicism is dying within the millennial generation. Many women at the University come from Catholic high schools or practicing Catholic families. The decision to continue their faith as an adult is very challenging for many reasons — in particular, the discrimination against women that the Catholic Church conveys. It is uncomfortable for a female to follow a faith that contains principles that assert women as inferior.
Besides the controversy within the Catholic Church regarding sexual abuse recently, the Church has long-standing principles that lessen women from men and distinctly separate them. The Church as a whole needs to re-evaluate their principles and take more progressive stances.
The Bible contains verses that separate men and women in an uneasy way. Ephesians 5:24 states, “Let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.” These ideals were appropriate in the time the Bible was written and canonized, but these principles are no longer followed.
The argument that the Old Testament is no longer considered law but studied for importance cannot be used here because Ephesians is in the New Testament. The laws in the New Testament were written and inspired by Jesus Himself.
The idea that a wife is subject to her husband is an outdated belief that goes against any progressive female rights today. A woman being inferior to a man makes the continuation of practicing Catholicism hard for many women.
The argument that a woman can be baptized like a man can but not ordained is also a common problem within Catholicism. This separation is discriminatory and unfair. Catholicism believes men who are ordained have a special connection with God, allowing for their communication to be more direct within their relationship.
If a woman desires to become a nun, it is as if she is marrying the Lord and vowing her life to Him as her spiritual “husband.” These exact words were stated in my high school religion class.
The distinction between a man and woman in this example infuriates me. The Catholic Church is lessening a woman’s worth by stating her only value is the wife she should become, whether to a man or to God. However, the Church states that a man can have a special connection with God and lead His people.
Important figures in Catholicism, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, wrote theology containing sexist principles such as his Summa Theologiae III:31:4 ad 1 stating, “The male sex is more noble than the female, and for this reason He [Jesus] took human nature in the male sex.” These principles need to be outwardly denied by the Church for females to feel equal to men and appreciated by their religious leaders.
Many changes need to occur within the Catholic Church for women to be held equal to men. The principles of the Church are in deep need of reform and progression. Times have changed and equality has been granted to women in many aspects — religion should be the top priority in this evolution.
The Church is under a microscope due to the incidents of sexual assaults being brought to light. This is the right time for the Church to step up and be inclusive of all people.
Britany Diefenderfer is a 20-year-old English literature junior from Thibodaux, Louisiana.
