On Monday, January 1st, Pope Francis publicly denounced violence against women in a statement that coincided with Italy’s quest to find ways to fight an entrenched patriarchal culture that has often led to the killing of women.
The Pope repeatedly demanded putting an end to violence against women in the past, but his words yesterday were his first in a public speech since Italy erupted in anger over the brutal murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin (22 years old) last November.
The girl’s former lover’s lawyer said he admitted to committing the crime.
The Murder sparked protests across the country and sparked calls for teaching respect for women to become part of the school curriculum starting in kindergarten.
The Pope said: Every society must respect, defend, and value women.
Italian lawmakers unanimously backed a range of measures to eliminate violence against women after the murder reopened a national debate on the topic.
According to the Italian Ministry of the Interior, more than 100 women will be killed in 2023, nearly half of them at the hands of their partners or former lovers. Incidents of “femicide” became a recurring headline in Italian newspapers.
Pope Francis said in his homily during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica that women play a crucial role as models of peace.
He added, “The world also needs to look at the role of mothers and women in achieving peace to get out of the cycle of violence and hatred and see things again with real human eyes and hearts.
