Food for Thought

Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his Wednesday audience Feb. 14, 2007, to discussing the "many female figures who played an effective and precious role in spreading the Gospel" in the New Testament writings.

Oct 14, 2016

Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his Wednesday audience Feb. 14, 2007, to discussing the "many female figures who played an effective and precious role in spreading the Gospel" in the New Testament writings.

After highlighting women in the Gospels like the prophetess Anna, the Samaritan woman and the woman with the hemorrhage, the pope mentioned lesser-known women in Paul's writings, such as Apphia, the only woman addressed in Paul's Letter to Philemon, who held a significant position in the Colossae community.

Euodia and Syntyche, whom Paul pleads to "come to mutual understanding" (Phil 4:2), supported the church at Philippi, explained the pope.

Paul's writings also mention Phoebe "a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae," (Rom 16:1) whose title, the pope said, while not yet "hierarchical," "expresses a true and proper exercise of responsibility on the part of this woman for this Christian community."

"Without the generous contribution of many women, the history of Christianity would have developed very differently," the pope said.

 

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