How the Church Understands and Upholds the Rights of Women, Third Article [pp. 366-380]

How t1hec Church Underistands and Upholds
Romans, he fell a victim to Arian
vengeance, and, after suffering torture
and imprisonment, was cruelly put
to death by order of Levigild himself. This barbarian king, however,
repented his unnatural cruelty before
he died, and, recalling his brother-inlaw Leander, entrusted him with the
care, of his remaining son Reccared.
Rigonthla, the wife of the young
prince, had suffered great injustice at
the hands of her own father Chilperic,
the lover of the too famous Fredegon(lda. She had succeeded inr converting her husband, and, together
with his uncle Leander, exercised a
salutaryinfluence over him. Reccared assembled the Arian bishops of
his kingd,clom, and spoke to them so
persuasively that they acknowledged
themselves willing to be reconciled
to the church. The lprovince of
Narbonne, at that time under his dominion, followed his example, while
the neilghboring tribe of the Suevi,
also Arians, speedily joined the
church. A council was then assembled at Toledo, and the intimate
union of Spain with Catholic interests was founded on a solid aid reliable basis.
It is told as a pleasantry of some
shrewd critic of modern times that,
when ever he saw or heard a disturbance of any sort, his unfailing question
was, "Who is she?" being certain that,
whatever might be the effect, a woman
was sure to be the cause. If this is
unfortunately no longer a libel on the
sex in this distracted century, at least
we may point back to the so-called
dark ages, and proudly say, with
a certainty far more absolute than
that of our cynical contemporary,
when we read of any great consummation in the history of religion and
civilization, "Who was she?"
Not long after the death of Blanche
of Castille, another Spanish princess,
the daughter of Peter III. of Aragon,
and the niece of St. Elizabeth of
Hungary, took up the tradition of
holiness, which seemed the birthright
of the royal maidens of mediaeval
times. Her father attributed his success in his undertakings against the
Moors to her prayers and early
virtues. At twelve years old she was
married to Denis, King of Portugal,
to whom she was not only a most
faithful wife, but whom she succeeded,
by her meekness and silent example,
in winning back from his sinful courses.
She is praised by her biographlers for
her ascetic virtues, and for her utter
disregard of her earthly rank. But
what concerns us more is to look into
the influence she held on social and
political affairs. Among these it is
impossible not to reckon her charities,
for private charity has often much
to do with public honesty and
morality. Butler tells us that she
"made it her business to seek out and
secretly relieve persons of good condition who were reduced to necessity,
yet out of shame durst not make
known their wants. She gave constant orders to have all pilgrims and
poor strangers provided with lodging
and necessaries. She was very liberal
in furnishing fortunes to poor young
women, that they might marry accordcling, to their condition, and not be
exposed to the danger of losing their
virtue. She founded in different parts
of the kingdom many pious establishments, particularly a hospital near
her own palace at Coimbra, a house
for penitent women who had been
seduced into evil courses, at TorresNovas, and a hospital for foundlings,
or those children who for want of due
provision are exposed to the danger of
perishing by poverty or the neglect
and cruelty of unnatural parents. She
visited the sick and served them with
her own hands,... not that she
neglected any other duties,...
for she made it her principal study to
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