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The Tragedy of Women
The tragedy of May 2025, involving a woman murdered in the street by a jealous and unstable man, has touched a raw nerve. It has brought to the surface all the frustrations of the past and present—every injustice committed by men who have treated their life partners with violence on all levels: physical, emotional, and psychological.
For too long in Romania, women have been viewed as only being good for „staying in the kitchen” and raising children, without having the right or the capacity to think, get involved, or make decisions in important areas of life. Consequently, the revolt of many women is justified. Some women who participated in the recent demonstrations say they do not want revenge; they want justice. It is natural and human for women to desire equal opportunities with men in all spheres of life.
Patriarchy has generated much injustice in all societies. Some men came to believe that if their mothers were abused, they should do the same. These ideas have been passed down from generation to generation. The lives of many women who died suffering in silence can never be recovered.
From Patriarchy to Matriarchy
I recently read an article by an attentive observer, Bishop Robert Barron, who noted that another danger has emerged in the West, particularly in America. In the worlds of cinema, literature, business, and other spheres of life, the woman is often presented as the heroine who saves the world, while men are portrayed as decadent individuals who are merely obstacles in their path to achieving independence and influence in society. Many of these women achieve financial independence and influence in many fields, but these come at a price: they lose every trace of humanity and are driven solely by blind ambition. From the dominance of patriarchy to the dominance of matriarchy. The men who held them as slaves for so long must pay and take a back seat. Hate attracts hate.
Legislative changes are needed in Romania to restore the dignity of women. However, we also need people who can detach themselves from the problem—people with great patience and stamina who, with the help of the light of reason and with compassion, without passion, can find balanced solutions. In today’s divided Romania, it is possible that these changes will take time. Yet, I have admired the involvement of many people in society who can bring about positive changes faster than high-level decision-makers. At the recent demonstrations, a young woman held a sign: „I will be the voice of the silent women.”
The Dignity of Women Restored through the Virgin Mary
Although it may seem outdated or ridiculous, Christianity can offer an answer to this problem. Why God created Adam first and not Eve, we do not know; what we do know, however, is that long before women’s liberation movements, 2000 years ago, God restored the dignity of women through the Virgin Mary.
Atheists look with contempt and mockery at the idea that a virgin could give birth to a child. Many Christians venerate her with a false humility, seeing in her only a gentle, kind woman full of love. And indeed, she is. But they appeal to her only out of a selfish desire to escape their own problems, failing to realize Mary’s sharp gaze—a gaze that can look into the depths of the soul, where the root of the evil that condemns them to unhappiness lies.
Jesus was a man, but without Mary’s cooperation, Jesus would not have entered the world. Mary was raised in the temple, and although she was very young, she quickly understood that if God asks you to submit to His will, He does not do so because He is a misogynistic dictator who wants to suppress your freedom and identity, but because He wants to raise you to a much higher reality.
The fact that Mary rarely left her humble home in Nazareth leads some to view her as merely a housewife—a woman staring blankly at the sky, detached from reality, gullible, and naive. Even many remarkable Christian men have disregarded her or failed to give her the importance she deserves.
At the same time, however, others have emerged who fought to restore her dignity within the Christian world. For example, she was given the title of the Ark of the Covenant. For the ancient Hebrews, the Ark of the Covenant was the vessel in which the tablets of the law received from God were carried. God did not want the laws to remain inscribed in stone; He wanted to write them on the hearts of men—not just to be read, but to be lived. And He did this through Jesus, who was the incarnate Word of God, and Jesus was brought into the world through Mary.
Mary’s Struggle with the Evil Within Us
If Jesus immersed Himself in the mire of the world in all its aspects, Mary did not remain passive in her small house in Nazareth. Let us not forget that she was human; nevertheless, she entered the mire of hell and fought against unseen forces, for it is known that the higher the spiritual levels Christians or saints reach, the greater the temptations become.
Among the last words spoken by Jesus on the cross were those addressed to Saint John, to whom He said: „Behold, your mother! Woman, behold, your son!” In this way, He gave her to all of us as a mother. We have a mother according to the flesh, but we also have a spiritual mother who, through her wisdom, can lead us to true life.
So, if we stand before her icon or statue and cry „crocodile tears” without following her example of wisdom and incessant struggle against evil, we have gained nothing.
Clear the Way to God!
Jesus urged peace and reconciliation in every way. He healed the incurably ill, He forgave the most wretched of sinners: tax collectors, harlots, and the thief who kept Him company on the cross. He even forgave Pilate. He did not fight against the Roman domination that held the Jews in slavery at that time.
However, when He entered the Temple in Jerusalem and saw the blindness of the men of the law, divine wrath was unleashed. While the Word of God full of love poured from His mouth, so too did the words addressed to those who block people’s access to God, those who destroy their hope and trust. He called them „tombs full of rot, beautifully painted on the outside,” „snakes,” and the last words He addressed to them were: „You will not see me again until you say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” We are all corrupted by sin, and Jesus’ words should give us pause for thought.
Connecting to the Source of Wisdom and Love
Regarding the dignity of women, Jesus did not stumble over prejudices. He presented the truth to the Samaritan woman and then offered her the „living water” from which you drink and never thirst again. He forgave Mary Magdalene for a difficult past and was the first person to whom He appeared after the Resurrection.
Following the teachings of Jesus—Truth Incarnate—and Mary’s example in this war between the sexes, we cannot take a biased position. In her wisdom, Mary accepted Joseph as a protector and partner on the journey, while Joseph demonstrated faithfulness and courage in defending and shielding his family. The secret of their wisdom is that they both made God the center of their lives. By connecting to the source of wisdom and love, new horizons open up to us, where we can see that both woman and man have the right to be respected with dignity.
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