Violence against women

It is an ode to women, who today are too often"beaten and killed"because they are a sign of contradiction in a confused and violent society. It is also a strong call to support and protect them from all acts of violence. The letter from Leo XIV, published in this month's edition of Piazza San Pietro magazine and made public on March 8, responds to Giovanna, a Roman woman who wonders how to explain the all-too-frequent and painful violence that men too often use against the women they claim to love, even to the point of killing them.

Citing the"feminine genius"referred to by Saint John Paul II, Leo XIV describes women as"protagonists and creators of a culture of care and fraternity that is essential for giving a future and dignity to all humanity." "Perhaps this is also why," he believes,"they arebeaten and killed" today. Women are"a sign of contradiction in this confused, uncertain, and violent society,"he insists, because"they point us to the values of faith, freedom, equality, generativity, hope, solidarity, and justice.". These values are thus opposed by"a dangerous mentality that infests relationships, producing only selfishness, prejudice, discrimination, and a desire for domination."

The Pope warns against violence,"the boundary that separates civilization from barbarism." "We must never underestimate an act of violence, and we are not afraid to denounce violence, including the climate that justifies it, mitigates it, or denies responsibility for it,"he writes.

To combat this violence, Leo XIV welcomes and approves the reader's proposal to bring schools and the Church together to teach respect. "Walking together in mutual respect for our own humanity is not a dream, but the only possible reality for building a world of light for everyone,"the Holy Father replied in his letter. According to him, all ecclesial and public institutions can"carry out specific projects to prevent and stop violence against women."

To achieve this, we must start with the education of young people, seeking to open"all hearts to the idea that every person is a human being who deserves respect and dignity."