The Measure of a Man

and the Meaning of Honor.

     An honorable man. What does it mean? Intrinsic in the definition is someone who knows how
to treat women with respect. Someone who does not is simply not an honorable man. Some man who forces or coerces an abortion on a vulnerable woman, most people would agree is not an honorable man. Some man who brings unfounded disgrace on a woman or creates scandal toward a woman or maligns, slanders or abuses a woman is not an honorable man. There use to be a civil tort claim in American jurisprudence which may still be on the books, called 'Slander of Virtue' of a woman. Any woman who is slandered in her virtue, meaning called a slut, whore, loose, promisciuous, etc. who isn't in fact may sue the person who maligned them in that fashion. It may still be on the books-
The way a man treats a woman is integral to the honor of a man. Many societies hold this to be the case.

   The all male catholic church hierarchy, however, does not seem to. That is because it sometimes takes gossip for truth and peddles guilt as an occupational qualification. Women often get maligned unfairly, dissed and demeaned unfairly and this is completely OK according to any arbitrariness any priest wants to engage in for whatever ego protecting reason he wants to. He can act on what someone wants to convey in a 'confession' which can be thinly veiled slander and presume the correctness of it because the person came so repentantly- falling hook, line and sinker. Some people are quite devious that way.

     The all male, all SINGLE male priesthood and Cardinali won't use that definition of honor when considering who should reign over a billion people's spiritual lives. In fact it is sometimes considered virtuous to demean and destroy women when necessary in some circles when they pose a threat for whatever perceived reason, rightly or wrongly. Show me a priest who threatens women deemed too powerful and I'll show you a Bishop. I can name at least one.

  This is not the Joseph model of priesthood so much as the Herod model. Perhaps praying more to Joseph who took care to make sure Mary saw no social rebuke would be the better saint to pray to. Then perhaps more honor would come to the priesthood and church.