Clash Continues Over Uta Ranke-Heinemann
It was a joy for me, a Catholic woman, to read about one feminist theologian tackling the male Catholic hierarchy. That battle is going on all the time in the Catholic Church, and it was good to see it given attention in the paper.
But I want to clarify one point: A generalization was present in the article. This generalization pops up again and again in the press: “But Ranke-Heinemann is surprisingly conservative when it comes to her own faith. She disapproves of abortion. . . .”
Why is it surprising that a feminist be against abortion? Why does it surprise the press?
I want all equal rights for women. But I also believe carrying a child is an incredible gift, a strength of womanhood. We need that strength to care for a new life, to raise a child. And we cannot slap that life away--as it is wrong for men to step away (or is it tip-toe?) from their equal responsibility to raise that child.
CATHERINE MAXEY
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