One More Thought on the Vatican's Women Statement

I can't help but think that part of the outrage by some women, myself included, over the document on feminism released by the Vatican Aug. 1 is this: We wonder whether the men who wrote the document have ever actually met and talked with any feminists.

Hard to know. It sounds as if they wrote it based on old models of what it means to be a liberated woman. I wonder: Do they work with any women? Did any women help draft the document? If they have no understanding of modern women, can they even be writing anything about women? Mmmm. Just some thoughts.

The lack of knowledge goes both ways. We feminists don't know anything about the Vatican men who worked on the document. Because we don't, it makes it easy to criticize them. Iris St. John wrote a letter to the editor at The Spokesman-Review with this line in it: "Well, isnt this an ironic criticism from a bunch of senile old men who like to wear long dresses and drape themselves in big jewelry!"

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a dialogue? Let the Vatican men meet some American feminists. Then maybe the stereotypes, and the harsh criticisms, would be lessened.