03-18-95 Women of Achievement and Herstory

      "Though they had a long struggle for the right to a normal burial,
women who had just given birth had to struggle even longer for the right
to return to church without undergoing a special purification. On January
13, 1199, Pope Innocent III imposed an interdict on France because the
French King was living in an invalid marriage with his mistress Agnes of
Meran. The interdict ordered all the churches in France to be closed, and
to be opened only for infant baptisms. The Pope "strictly" forbade women
to come to church for purification, and since they had not been
"churched," they were also not permitted to take part in the baptism of
their children. Only after the interdict was lifted could they be readmitted
by the priest.
      "The custom of purifying women after childbirth has lasted almost
up to the present. The Kirchenlexikon of Wetzer/Welte (1886) describes
"churching" in this way:   'Like the catechumens and penitents, the woman
who has just had a child must first stand, or kneel, outside the church
door; and only when she has been solemnly purified by sprinkling with
holy water and the prayer of the priest is she led into the church. This
is similar to what stilI happens today with catechumens and to what used
to happen before with public penitents on Holy Thursday' (Wetzer/Welte I,
1711).  As late as the 1960s the practice of "churching" was still strictly
adhered to. In 1987 a woman wrote me as follows: "I can recall how terribly
ashamed my mother once was. In 1960 my younger sister was born. My
mother was not allowed to be present at the baptism because she had not
yet been churched.  Some time later in the afternoon she sneaked off all
by herself to church, where the paster "churched her.  Only then could
she attend services again."
      -- Excerpted from EUNUCHS FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, by Uta
Ranke-Heinemann.  New York: Doubleday, 1990.  ISBN 0-385-26527-1. Dr.
Ranke Heinemann was the first woman to qualify as a university lecturer
in Catholic theology.  In 1970 she became a professor of Catholic theology. 
She lost her academic chair in New Testament and Ancient Church History
at the University of Essen for interpreting Mary's Virgin birth
theologically and not biologically.  She now hold the chair for History of
Religion at the same university.

03-19 Anniversaries ...........................................

      B. 03-18-1891, Margaret Culkin Banning, raised her two children alone
on the proceeds of her writing, creating almost 40 novels.  Although not
great literature, her book reflected the problems of women of her time and
class (she was Roman Catholic) had with careers, marriage, birth control,
ageism, etc.

      B. 03-18-1963, Vanessa Williams, first black Miss America and the first
Miss America (1984) to have her title removed for misconduct.  She had
posed for a series of explicitly sexual nude photos with another woman.
(I've seen them and they *are* explicit although I don't agree that her
title should have been removed.)

      B. 03-18-1964, Bonnie Blair, Speed skater. Born on March 18, 1964,
in Cornwall, N.Y. She moved with her parents to Champaign, Ill., when she
was 2 and began skating at that time. In 1988 Blair won the gold medal in
the 500 meters at the Winter Olympics in Calgary, and a bronze in the
1,000 meters. In the 1992 games in Albertville, France, she won two gold
medals at the same distances, becoming the first American Woman to win
three gold medals in the Winter Olympics and in 1994 she added more.
(HELP - will someone send me the rundown on her accomplishments and
awards?  I didn't want to hold up her recognition just because my records
were incomplete at this time. She's such a marvelous athlete and person.)

Quotes du jour ...........................................

      "You'd be amazed at the number of women who don't know they are
not protected by the US Constitution." --Dr. Agnes Wells, emeritus dean of
women, Indiana University and president of the National Woman's Party,
1949.


(C) 1995 Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs National Park, AR 71902,
irenestuber@delphi.com. Distribute verbatim copies freely with copyright
notice for non-profit use.