EWTN News in Depth delves deep into Catholic femininity and its impact on American family life

EWTN News in Depth examines the physical and spiritual aspects of motherhood and the vital role of mothers in the Catholic Church. Host Montse Alvarado speaks with the New York Sisters of Life about their mission to help pregnant mothers choose life. This episode also examines the essential role of the Church in helping to establish the U.S. foster care system and providing ongoing support to families in need.

Motherhood and our Catholic Faith

• Supporting Life: Catholic Charities helps vulnerable mothers coping with unwanted pregnancies through programs such as “Sanctuaries for Life” (Washington DC)
• Teaching God’s Love to Children: Catholic Mothers Reflect about how many people are valued in a utilitarian way, but mothers love unconditionally.
• Empowerment of women: religious communities like the Sisters of Life in Manhattan nurture and protect life by counseling and providing resources for mothers, as well as by praying and fasting for them. “Motherhood is really a fundamental part of our charism,” says Sr. Magdalene Teresa.
• Also in this interview: Learn how doctors had ‘on-the-spot’ conversions after watching families choose life in a special perinatal hospital.

A mother’s influence

What is the role of mothers in the Church today? What are their needs? Why are they vital in the faith of their children? Check out some key insights from the News in Depth panelists:

By Rachel Ullmann (Executive Director, GIVEN Institute):

• The “prescription” for many modern challenges facing women is contained in the characteristics of the “feminine genius” of Pope Saint John Paul II – receptivity, sensitivity, generosity and motherhood.
• The world needs the total gift of self that women offer. He “doesn’t need what women have, he needs what women are,” as St. Edith Stein said.
• Single women have the opportunity to flourish around them those who suffer and those whom God has given them to love.
• Motherhood is leadership. It is a tremendous sphere of influence, community change and personal growth.

By Janeth Chavez (National coordinator, Magnifica):

• All women are called to be spiritual mothers whether through biological or spiritual motherhood, which can include accompaniment, prayer and teaching of others.
• This can take the form of an apostolate to pray for priests. or other similar responsibility like being a sponsor.
• The Lord can heal womanhood and make women confident in themselves as women through their relationship with him.

Watch the segment:

A report on Catholic support for adoption and foster care

Kate Scanlon of News in Depth reports that the first documented orphanage in the United States was founded by Ursuline nuns in New Orleans around 1727 – even before the nation was formed. Fast forward to 2019 and Catholic adoption agencies have facilitated over 2,400 adoptions. In this report, listen to adoptive parents talk about the discernment process and a Catholic Charities official who explains how adoption requests have moved in a surprising direction in recent times, due to the pandemic.

Biden’s birth rate and American family plan

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control shows that the birth rate in the United States fell to an all-time high in 2020. The decrease was similar across all major races and ethnicities and in most age groups.

What is happening

Births have been declining among younger women for years as many delay motherhood and have small families in dual-income households. There were just over 3.6 million births in 2020, a drop of 4% from 2019, which is the biggest drop in a single year in almost 50 years. The largest drop in births occurred in December 2020, about nine months after the start of the pandemic.

Why is this important

Meanwhile, a law called the American Family Act will expire this year, and the Biden administration is developing its own version: a new set of laws to support families called the American Families Plan. The new plan includes several features designed to target the falling birth rate:

• Sustainable tax credits for families with children;
• a comprehensive national paid family and medical leave program;
• Universal and free preschool for children aged 3 and 4.

EWTN News in Depth invited two Catholic commentators to comment on the proposed policy and broader issues around feminism, motherhood and women in the workforce.

Double pressure on income. “I think we should really be wary of a feature like Universal Pre-K and Child Care because it really does incent two income households and is based on the assumption that everyone should be working.” – Gabriela Girgis, PhD (Fellow, Center for Ethics and Public Policy)

Unconditional tax credits. “I agree that refundable child tax credits are a good thing because they’re sort of ‘twice neutral’; they can go with a family whether or not they choose to enroll their child in a paid child care program. – Serena Sigillito (Editor-in-Chief of Public Discourse, the Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

Catholic shade. “The Catholic Church is truly unique and has something so important and so beautiful to offer to the world because we simultaneously support the truth of complementarity and the fact that. . . some women have the vocation to work outside the home. —Serena Sigillito (Editor-in-Chief of Public Discourse, Journal of the Witherspoon Institute)

In this discussion, too, the panelists touch on the reductionist language of motherhood, the relationship between the new Catholic feminism and secular feminism, and how different generations of women make decisions about their role in society. Watch the segment:

A spiritual mother for migrants in Greece

Also on EWTN News in Depth, Alexey Gotovskiy of EWTN follows a religious sister’s mission to help migrants in Greece. The impact of her awareness on families and special handmade gifts for children.

Watch the full show: