TedLipien.com

Pope John Paul II's new agenda for supporting Catholic feminism, also referred to by him as “new feminism,” was first outlined in his 1995 Letter to the U.N.-sponsored Women’s Conference in Beijing. It was an attempt to win credibility with women after the earlier confirmation of his total opposition to the idea of ordaining women priests. Secular feminists doubted that he would act quickly and forcefully on some of the conciliatory sentiments expressed in the Beijing Letter to Women and pointed out that document contained only a rather conditional and weak apology to women for the past wrongs.

In May 2000, John Paul II called for the promotion of “new feminism” that “without falling into the temptation of pursuing ‘macho’ models, can recognize and express the authentic feminine genius.”