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 Adriana
Valerio, a woman theologian, has committed herself to find sources and
testimonies for the work of re-building the memory of women in the
history of Christianity. Graduated in philosophy and Theology, she
teaches History of Christianity in the Faculty of Humanities, University
of Federico II, Naples. From 2003 up to 2007 she has been the President
of ’AFERT” (European women Association for theological researches) and
is actually the President of “Pasquale Valerio Foundation for the
history of women”, in Naples.
With
the said Foundation she started three international projects (The
Archive, the Places of Memory, the Bible and women) which involve
scholars from all over the world committed to the re-building of the
historical-religious identity of women. Moreover, she is the author of
numerous publications among which “Women and Religion in Naples”, “The
Bible in the interpretation of women” and “Women and the Bible”. She was
the co-ordinator of the latest ESWTR Congress held at Vico Equense at
the end of August.
The recent congress held in Naples shows newness in many ways. Why?
“The
XII ESWTR Congress, (European Society of Women for Theological
Research), presents a newness for several aspects. The first aspect is
that the International Congress of the Association was held in Italy for
the first time (precisely in via Equense). As first Italian person to
invest the role of President, I was keen to organise such an important
moment in my land. Moreover, it had not yet been recorded so far the
presence of such an ample and, above all, variegated number of women
scholars (150 women theologian from 23 European countries, plus Canada
and USA), belonging to all the Christian confessions, as well as to the
Hebrew one, who gathered not only to discuss the theme of life
(“Becoming Living Communities”), but also to launch new proposals, new
challenges. For the first time since its foundation, which took place in
Genova, 1986, there was a high presence of Italian (30) and Spanish
women (31). This proves an ever increasing interest of women for
theology in our catholic countries. The presence of the religious world
was also particularly meaningful: some ten women religious from Italy,
Croatia, France and Spain manifested the living debates present in
communities of women religious. The Orthodox participation was not
missing and it enriched the exchange of religious confessions. The
involvement of these women from different traditions –which was
expressed through the proposal of mornings with different cults- is, to
me, the strong element of this organisation, because it shows the face
of the dialoguing and fruitful encounter, of listening to faith in the
diversity of study and prayer experiences.
Which particular argument have you focussed your attention on?
“The
theme of the Congress has been the life, better, the thematic of how
much women make alive the places where they live: families, society and
churches. We questioned ourselves on the theology of life which women
can elaborate starting from their own experience (reports of Andrea
Guenter and Hanna Strack); on the ecclesiological insistence of a
“feminine citizenship” to be built on its vital articulations, but also
in its sense of fragility (Report of Cettina Militello e Serena Noceti);
on the meaning of the feminine genealogy in the Old Testament (Irmtraud
Fischer), on its Semantic changes present in the Gospels and in the old
Christian literature (Elena Giannarelli), as well as in its historical
re-reading through the work of Cristina da Pizzano (Valeria Schifer); on
the vital experience of first centuries women, through a discipleship of
equals in John’s community (Elisabeth Schuesslerr Fiorenza); on the
pastoral experience of women in the different churches (Kari Veiteberg,
Michéle Jeunet, Vassiliki Mitropoulou); on the possibility of
elaborating women’s freedom in the vital contexts of society and of the
Church (Teresa Forcades)”.
How would you describe the situation of the feminine theological
research in Europe, particularly in Italy?
“The
six hundred women enrolled in the Association are like the peak of a
vaster proportioned iceberg: this indicates that women belonging to all
different religions are demanded to deepen one’s own faith, of giving
strong arguments for their own being believers. Their presence in the
faculty of theology becomes higher and higher, despite difficulties,
diffidence and prejudices. The publications are numerous, qualified and
specialised. Unluckily this vast commitment does not meet with an
adequate welcome in women’s studies and commitments, for which the women
theologians in Europe must be considered as “frontier women”, a critical
awareness of the religious universe still too static and excluding. Some
faculties of theology (in Germany, Austria, but also Spain and Italy)
have integrated the traditional courses of study with specific teachings
in studies of “gender”, but the journey is still too long before the
academic world will recognise and assimilate these results”.
As President of the Valerio Foundation, you have started three
initiatives: “The places of memory. Institutes of women religious in
Naples”, “Archive for women’s history”, “The Bible and women”; what are
they about?
“The Archive for the history of women is a yearly
publication, unique of its kind in Italy. It starts form the desire of
proposing studies based on absolutely inedited material and moves wider
into the most different areas: religious, artistic,
political-institutional, literary and musical. Thanks to capillary and
articulated relations with public and private archives, the Archive
wants to offer first hand material to the scholars for the
interpretation of women’s history. The project Places of memory,
whose first fruit has been the volume Institutes of women religious
in Naples, from IV up to XVI century, is a further historical
current (starting also with the city of Salamanca and L’Avana) of
recovering the socio-cultural, economic and religious history of the
most important Institutes of Neapolitan women religious.
The series of books, Women and Religious in Naples, was born from
it: Monasteries, Hospitals, History, arts, spirituality, in which,
through the contribution of inter-disciplinary studies, we want to
re-build the internal life, the role of the protagonists, the political
dynamics of the aristocratic families supporting the institutions,
places of spirituality, culture and power, with particular reference to
historical-artistic aspects: commitments to pieces of arts, iconography,
architectonic and monumental aspects. Seminars, with the participation
of international scholars, will flank the preparation of the volumes.
The other current –the theological soul of the Foundation- is
represented by the international project of the Bible and women,
which foresees the publication of 20 volumes in 4 languages, with the
involvement of specialised European and American people. The relation
women-Holy Scripture is a place of privileged investigation not only of
the religious universe, but also of the feminine identity itself
throughout the centuries. Yet, in the study of women’s history, the
Bible, foundation of Christian life, rarely appears. The historical
feminine exegesis, therefore, is still to be written.
Under the direction of an international committee made up of the
following women theologians: Irmtraud Fischer, Mercedes Navarro Puerto,
Jorun Økland e Adriana Valerio, the volumes are characterised by an
exegetic reading of the Hebrew and Christian Sacred Scripture.
To this end, the Biblical books, besides being documents of faith, will
be presented as expression of given historical-cultural areas, the
reaching post of a long journey through meaningful experiences and
living traditions. The end is that of making known, through an
inter-disciplinary methodology, the historical interpretation of the
Bible concerning women, their identity and their roles”.
On meeting the German TVs last year, Benedict XVI spoke of the
collegiality in the Church and of an increased space for women. In
particular, he made us understand of wanting to give the utmost value to
the role of women, whose exclusion from ordained priesthood must not
interfere at all with other roles. He added, “We think that our faith
and the constitution of the Apostles’ College commit us and do not allow
us to confer the priestly ordination to women. However, we must not
think that the unique possibility of having a relevant possibility in
the Church be that of being a priest”. How do you interpret these words?
“I think that there is an ever growing attention on behalf of the
hierarchy for the role of women in the Church and that the words of the
Pope about the need of giving value to the role of women are extremely
important, as well as his urging to favour a higher feminine
responsibility within the Church. We now wait for these pushes to be
concretised and for further steps towards overcoming the present still
existing taboo in many churches about the feminine presence in the area
of ordained ministerial realities”.
Italy is becoming more and more a land of strong immigration, with a
consistent presence of non-Christian people, for instance the rom case.
The recent news of the death of four children in Livorno because of fire
that burned their barrack, has aroused an anormous impression. This, of
course, is a not easy situation because it is the matter of conciliating
the demands of the Gospel’s proclamation with those of a respectful
dialogue with other religions. How could the women religious answer this
double challenge?
“Living in complexity and diversity is today’s challenge. Dialogue does
not forbid the testimony of our faith; however testimony must not imply
the imposition of our truth and lead to proselitism. Our capacity of
living love will cause the blooming of the faith we sow. Truth lacerates
our Churches because it crushes the diversity and has a tendency to
judge, to condemn and chase away. Shared love is the unique place of
life and community life. “From this they will know that you are my
disciples…”
The Pope has just met in Loreto the youths from Italian Dioceses, future
and hope of the Church. The new generations are living a season of
uncertainties that not rarely leads them to take dangerous ways like
drugs. As teacher in the “Federico II” University, which suggestions
would you offer so that every tiny failure may not change into a bitter
defeat with dramatic consequences for the life of the youths who open
themselves to life?
“My experience as teacher urges me to say that the youths need high
ideals, ample horizons and dreams; at the same time, they must not avoid
to face frustrations and sufferings, without which the human fragility
would prevail. Both fixed points and bolts (the “no”) are needed to
build up such mature personalities as they do not give way to the first
difficulties.
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