Mixed Messages

Having been in Catholic school for 12 years of my education, I can definitely say I've received mixed messages from the Catholic Church about the role of women in the Church. The Church encourages young women to live out the life of Christ by participating in community service and Church activities, whether it be a Church-sponsored event or participating in the Mass as a lector, cantor, or Eucharistic minister. In this way, the Church establishes an important role in the community and in the Church. However, much of the Bible is focused on men, and in discussing the sacrament of marriage, women are limited in their roles. For my newspaper project, I researched quotes in the Bible pertaining to marriage, and some of them seemed to be derogatory to the role of women. One quote starts:  "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." Similarly, women are allowed to participate in the Mass, but they are not allowed to hold leadership positions in the Church. While the Church looks up to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as a role model, it does not seem to emphasize the important impact young women can have.