T H E O D O R O S II
By the Grace of God, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa,
to the plenitude of the Apostolic and Patriarchal Throne of Alexandria,
Grace and Mercy and Peace from our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
born in Bethlehem and who fulfilled the Divine Economy.
My beloved and blessed brothers and sisters,
Two thousand years ago on a night like tonight, the Theotokos was swaddling the newborn Jesus to keep him warm. A few days later, again in the darkness, Jesus would seek warmth, this time in His mother’s arms, as they took the road of exile to Egypt in order to escape Herod’s fury and wrath.
Also though, throughout His entire life which began so humbly in Bethlehem, our Lord never lacked maternal warmth. The Theotokos faithfully and patiently followed Jesus in all His evangelical travels in all challenges of His earthly life. Silently she travelled with Him, silently she stood by Him, silently she participated in the suffering of her Son and God.
The Theotokos’ attitude gave prominence to maternal love as an irreplaceable portal of human life. Her attitude highlighted the principles of mildness, humility and solidarity. Furthermore, the image of maternal shelter and protection, as this was reflected in the small stable in Bethlehem, was to become an everlasting benchmark for all the women of the world. A refuge of hope each time the last glimmer of light was lost. A refuge of courage each time the last reserves of strength were being depleted.
Today however, as man conquers the bastions of knowledge one after the other, today as man perfects available technology, today as man often has the illusion that he can substituted God Himself, woman, as the natural bearer of change and regeneration in the world, still does not enjoy the respect that would be proper to her in society.
The position of women may have been institutionally upgraded. Yet at the same time their rights have not ceased to be subject to violations. Many women may be spending a carefree night among their loved ones, enjoying the essentials on their festive table. But at the same time many other women find themselves unable to experience the festive atmosphere of these days.
These are the women who are victims of trafficking for the purpose of exploitation; women abuse by their husband or partner; victims of domestic violence; women carriers of the HIV virus who pay the price of social stigma; long-term unemployed women and women excluded from the labour market; all women fighting to eliminate their any exclusion from society.
These are the women who in times of financial hardship, are obliged to respond to multiple roles; the roles of spouse, mother, worker and housewife. In their effort to respond to all these social demands and to maintain a delicate balance, women are pressured, stressed, exhausted; they are overwhelmed.
These are the women of sub-Saharan Africa who face with fear and anguish the divine gift of the coming of new life. This is because in this underdeveloped part of our planet, a woman has a one in sixteen chance of dying due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Their orphaned children are ten times more likely to die within two years after the death of their mother.
My most precious brothers and sisters,
A world without mothers is world without love and a world without respect for women as the source of life; it is a world without humanity. Let us therefore not allow the crisis of our times to violate respect for women’s rights. Rights know no gender, no borders. Let us show the necessary respect for the person, the work, the effort, the needs and the wishes of the mother, wife, sister and daughter.
It is precisely this respect, similar to the one that the Righteous Joseph showed to the Theotokos, that modern missionaries in Africa put into practice by developing networks of humanitarian assistance, primarily with the women who daily labour, struggle, endure. It is true that means fall short at a time when we are all experiencing the grip of financial shortage. None the less, no deduction can be made on the conviction that hope for a better future cannot exist without respect for women, the bearers of the divine gift of life; hope for a better future cannot exist without securing and protecting the right of safe motherhood.
Motherhood that on a night like tonight was sanctified by the Theotokos in the humble stable in Bethlehem.
† T H E O D O R O S II
Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa
In the Great City of Alexandria,
Nativity of the Lord, 2011.
