Sister Hirota of Japan is a member of the preparatory committee for the current General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. She spoke to this news network about the current situation of women in Asia and the role of women in the Synod process.
(Vatican News Network)The Preparatory Committee for the 16th Ordinary Synod of the Synod has held its first virtual meeting since it was established on March 15. The only woman on the organizing committee, Japanese nun Shizue Filomena Hirota of the Missionary Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Perlis, was interviewed by this news site to talk about the current situation of women in Asia and the role of women in the Synod process.
Sister Hongtian first talked about the Asian church’s concern for women’s issues. “I attended a meeting of the Association of Bishops’ Conferences in Asia before. The way the meeting was held was in the spirit of fellowship, but it was not a stage of the Synod process. I was the Asian representative of the Tarita Ancient Wood,” she said. Participate in an organization whose job it is to accompany victims of human trafficking.”
The Japanese nun shared that at the meeting of the Association of Bishops’ Conferences in Asia, women were in the limelight, albeit a minority. A video was shown at the meeting, which included the testimony of a 14-year-old girl. The girl came to the meeting and spoke. “The bishops were really touched.”
Looking back at the history of the Association of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, as early as the 1986 General Assembly, there was already a discussion group on the theme of women. “I always remember, there was an Indian theologian named Stella Faria, who kept repeating: ‘Women are people. Women are people. Why is it that in Asia and elsewhere? , women are not treated well as human beings in so many situations?” This is very important, because the bishops were deeply moved by her persistence, so they finally wrote a sentence in the closing document: Women are human beings. Therefore, at that time, it was not Those present questioned: Did the bishops realize that women are human beings until now?”
“It is well known that the situation of women is generally difficult.” Sister Hongtian said bluntly. Tarita Ancient Wood works with all women who are victims of human trafficking, and some congregations run schools for girls’ education.
Sister Hirota said: “We have many types of projects to help women escape their slavery. This has been a long-standing focus of the Association of Bishops’ Conferences in Asia. Furthermore, in Asia the Catholic Church is only a minority, so we work with all We work with people, and we work with nuns from various orders, because we know that most of the orders whose founders hoped to help women get their freedom were actually men who were the leaders.”
Speaking of the work of the Preparatory Committee for the Plenary Assembly of the Synod, Sister Hirota pointed out that they have already held their first meeting online. “I am surprised that I am the only woman among cardinals, bishops and priests,” said the nun. The active participation of women in the process is crucial. Furthermore, the work of the Synod Secretariat is only part of the Synod process, and the Synod is the exclusive Synod of Bishops. However, in the Synod process, there are Men and women, there are many who have not received the sacrament of Holy Orders. The mission of the bishop does not come from a personal title, the bishop is here to represent the people of God. Therefore, I said to myself: ‘OK, I am cooperating with them . I am reminding them that there are different approaches, different realities and different experiences.』”
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