The historian and philosopher Adriana Valerio has written a book titled Madri del Concilio. Ventitré donne al Vaticano II (Mothers of the Council. Twenty three women at Vatican II – Carocci publishers, 2012, 165 pages, Euro 16) which presents the twenty three women summoned and dressed entirely in black, describing the events which followed their silent presence in the halls and their real and concrete interventions. The essay presents an aspect that is too often ignored in reconstructions of the event that changed the Church around.
Hence L’Osservatore Romano, the Holy See’s official daily newspaper writes: “At Vatican II the breathe of originality in history, of humanity and of the Church had never been seen before 23 women were present, summoned on 8 September 1964 as auditors by Paul VI, and thus they were shaped by an adverb, which limited their work but perhaps increased their responsibility: “symbolically”.
Commenting on Valerio’s book, Cristiana Dobner writes: “This break with centuries past was made. We owe many thanks to the Pope who succeeded in breaking the age-old barrier even if these women were confined to a modest role, deliberately modest, because a numerous and qualified offspring was born from this initiative. The split took place, the fruits continued to blossom.”
In the article, Dobner recalls how the Council Fathers described the women present at the Council as “mothers”, adding: “These women/mothers mark the watershed between two conceptions of women: one which relegates her to household tasks and low-profile help and the other, which takes into consideration all of her potential for intelligence and care, understood as it was understood by the patroness of Europe Edith Stein, who was able to listen and know how to welcome others.”