The equal dignity of women with men is accented forcefully in a major new document signed Nov. 19 by Pope Benedict XVI during a visit to the west African nation of Benin. Recognition of the God-given dignity of both women and men in Africa ought to influence the lives of married couples and their families in important ways, the pope proposes.He urges husbands in today’s Africa to express love and respect for their wives.
And he wants men to realize that their witness to the “dignity of every human person will serve as an effective antidote to traditional practices that are contrary to the Gospel and oppressive to women in particular.”
Husbands should not be afraid “to demonstrate tangibly that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for those one loves, that is to say, first and foremost, for one’s wife and children,”
Pope Benedict states in the new document.Speaking to the Catholic Church’s permanent deacons in Africa,the pope asks that they assist their society “at every level to encourage responsibility,
on the part of men who are husbands and fathers, respect for women who are equal to men in dignity and concern for children left to fend for themselves without education.”
