Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Today's world, "marked by the long-term effects of a society governed by the economic technocracy", needs a "new covenant" of men and women "to emancipate people from colonization of money”. The role of the family and above all of women is fundamental in this, as they are "marked" by God "with a protective barrier against evil."
The new alliance between man and woman which must "return to its role of guiding politics, the economy and civil society" was the focus of the reflection that the Pope dedicated to the family in his catechesis for the general audience, on the eve of trip that will take him to Cuba and the United States and, in the latter country, the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. "The main reason for the trip," Francis recalled it today, in his audience.
In his address to the 40 thousand people in St. Peter's Square – among whom he toured as is usual in his white open topped jeep - Francis gave particular emphasis to the role of women. "There are - he said among other things - many clichés, sometimes even offensive, of the temptress who inspires evil. However there is room for a theology of woman, worthy of God’s blessing for her and her role in generation".
The alliance between man and woman, in the words of the Pope, "the conjugal-family of man and woman is the generative grammar, the 'golden knot', we could say. Faith draws from the wisdom of God's creation: entrusting it with its care not within the intimacy of their own reality, but as an exciting project to “domesticate” the world. It is the family that forms the beginning, the basis of this world culture that saves us; it saves us from many, many destructive forces, colonizations, like that of money or the ideologies that threaten the world. The family is the basis of our defense”.
“In fact we were inspired by the words in the Bible on creation for our short meditations on Wednesday on the family. We can and must draw from this Word with breadth and depth. The task ahead of us is a great one, but also very exciting. God's creation is not simply a philosophical premise: it is the universal horizon of life and faith! There is a divine plan different from creation and its salvation. It was for the salvation of the creature - born of all creation - that God became man "for us men and for our salvation," as the Creed teaches us. And the risen Jesus is "the firstborn of all creation" (Col 1:15). The created world is entrusted to man and woman: what happens between them gives shape to everything else. Their rejection of God's blessing inevitably becomes megalomania that ruins everything. This is what we call' original sin '. And all we are born inheriting this disease".
"Nevertheless, we are not cursed, or left to ourselves. The ancient story of first love of God for man and woman, had already written firey pages in this regard! "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between your seed and her seed" (Gen 3.15A). Are the words that God addresses to the deceitful, charmer serpent. Through these words God marks the woman with a protective barrier against evil, to which she could resort - if she so wants - for every generation. It means that women have a secret and special blessing, for the defense of their child from the evil one! Like the Woman of the Apocalypse, who runs to hide the child from the Dragon. And God protects them(cf. Rev 12,6). Think what depth this reveals! There are many clichés, sometimes even offensive, of the who temptress inspires evil. However there is room for a theology of the woman, worthy of this blessing which God bestows on her and those she generates! "
"The merciful protection of God for man and woman, in any case, never fails to both. Do not forget this! The symbolic language of the Bible tells us that before distancing them from the garden of Eden, God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them (cf. Gn 3, 21). This gesture of tenderness means that even in the painful consequences of our sin, God does not want us to naked and abandoned to our fate of sinners. This divine tenderness, this care for us, we see incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God, "born of woman" (Gal 4,4). And again St. Paul says, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5,8). Christ, he born of a woman, from a woman. It is the caress of God on our wounds, our mistakes, our sins. But God loves us as we are and wants to move forward with this project, and the woman is the stronger one in pursuing this project”.
"The promise that God gives to man and woman, the origin of history, includes all human beings, to the end of time. If we have enough faith, the families of the peoples of the earth will recognize themselves in this blessing. In any case, may those moved by this vision, whatever people, nation or religion they belong to, may they journey with us. They will be our brother and our sister, without proselytizing, no .. We will walk together under this blessing and under God's purpose to make us all brothers in life in a world that moves forward and that is born from the family, from the union of man and the woman. God bless you, families of every corner of the earth! God bless you all!".