Ensayo de una traduccin de la Conferencia de Alice Von Hildebrand en la St.

Thomas
More Academy en Raleigh, North Carolina (12.4.09).
La tremenda importancia de la sabidura en la vida del hombre hoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGWjbYRfpfE

Permtanme comenzar mi charla dicindoles que, para la gente mayor es un privilegio

compartir experiencias con la gente joven. El futuro les pertenece y es una alegra muy
especial compartir con ustedes los regalos que yo he recibido.
Saben? Una de las bendiciones de la ancianidad, y hay muchas bendiciones valiosas, es
mirar hacia atrs en tu vida y examinar quines han contribuido a tu formacin. Cuando
tena once aos tom un curso de literatura francesa del siglo XVII y descubr a un
hombre llamado Pascal, y leerlo me ha impresionado tanto que voy a comenzar mi
conferencia dicindoles que l abri mis ojos a la importancia tremenda de la [presencia
de la] sabidura en la vida humana.
my talk by telling you that its a privilege for elderly persons to share experiences
with young people. The future belongs to you and it is a very special joy to share with
you the gifts which I myself Ive received.
You know one of the blessings of old age, and there are so very rich blessings, its that
you look back upon your life and you examine the people that have contributed to your
formation. When I was eleven years old, I took a course on French literature of the XVII
century, and I made the discovery of a man called Paschal and reading him made such
an impression on me that i am going to begin my talk by telling you that he opened my
eyes to the tremendous importance of wisdom in human life.

Ustedes saben que vivimos en una sociedad que, tecnolgicamente hablando, es

sorprendente, vamos de un descubrimiento hacia otro. El mundo en que ustedes viven,
el mundo de la televisin y de las computadoras y las mquinas de todo tipo, es un
mundo que me era totalmente desconocido en mi niez. Las cosas cambian y todos los
tremendos logros que tenemos, SOLO nos servirn si los ponemos al servicio de la
sabidura.
Y la sabidura es lo nico que no cambia: la tecnologa cambia, la tecnologa de hoy es
la vieja tecnologa de maana, pero si volvemos a la sabidura, nos ensea cmo vivir,

como responder las preguntas ms excruciantes de la existencia humana que nunca

cambian: Hay un Dios? cul es el significado de la vida? y quin soy yo?
You know, we live in a society which is technologically speaking, amazing, we go to
one discovery to the other. The world in which you live, world of television and
computers and machines of all sorts its a world that was totally unknown to me as a
child.
Things change, and all the tremendous accomplishments that we have, are going to
serve us ONLY if we put them at the service of wisdom. And wisdom is the one thing
that does not change we go back to wisdom this is to say teaches us how to live to
answer the most crucial questions of human existence that never change: is there a God?
What is the meaning of life? And who am I?, technology changes the technology of
today is the old technology of tomorrow but if but if we go back to wisdom this is to say
teaches us how to live to answer the most crucial questions of human existence that
never change: is there a God? What is the meaning of life? And who am I?

Pascal propone una pregunta, hace un comentario y aunque yo tena solamente once
aos, de algn modo, cambi mi vida. Dice que el hombre es el objeto ms
desconcertante en la naturaleza.
Ustedes saben que somos seres muy complicados, tal vez ustedes sean demasiado
jvenes para advertir cun complicados somos-. Tenemos dos dificultades, una de ellas
es entendernos a nosotros mismos y la otra es cmo relacionarnos con otros. Y, saben,
esto es crucial para la existencia humana: si no sabes quin sos, tens problemas y si no
sabs relacionarte con otra gente, tens un tremendo problema y lo que me preocupa
acerca de nuestra sociedad es que relacionarnos con otras personas parece ser una
dificultad creciente, este es uno de los trgicos quiebres de demasiados matrimonios.
Now Paschal raises a question, makes a remark and as I was only eleven in some ways
he changed my life. He says: man is the most baffling object in nature, you know that
we are very complicated beings, maybe your are too young to realize how complicated
we are- we have to 2 difficulties one of them to understand of selves and the other is to
relate to others. And you know, this is crucial in human existence if you dont know
who you are, you have problems and if you dont know to relate to other people, you
have tremendous problem and what worries me about our society is that we seem to
have an increasing difficulty relating to other people, this is one of the tragic breakdown
of so many marriages.

En otras palabras somos seres desconcertantes. Por qu?

Tenemos dos problemas y en mi nuevo libro -que se supone que se publicara para
Navidad pero creo que va a estar un poco retrasado-, lo llamo Varn y mujer, una
invencin divina y es, en efecto, un invento divino porque a quin se le ocurrira crear
un ser -en latn homo- varn y mujer. En Ingls, desgraciadamente tenemos solamente
una palabra: Cre al hombre, los cre varn y mujer, pero, de hecho, cuando decs
homo, quers decir hombre y mujer juntos.
Esencialmente van de la mano [son inseparables] y tenemos que relacionarnos entre
nosotros.
In other words we are baffling beings. Why? We have two problems and in my new
book which was supposed to come out in Christmas but I think is going to be some sort
of delay. I call it, Man and woman a divine invention ant it is indeed a divine invention
because, who in the world would create a being -in latin homo- male and female? in
English unfortunately we have only one word: Man He created, male and female He
created them, but in fact when you say homo you mean male and female together, we
essentially belong together and we have to got to relate to one another.

Saben? Es muy fcil ser un chimpanc, creo que esa es la razn por la que mucha gente
est tan entusiasmada acerca de la Evolucin. Saltan de un rbol a otro rbol, coms,
bebs, te reproducs y mors, es todo muy simple. Debe ser hermoso ser un ngel, sos un
ser espiritual, y contempls y cants las alabanzas divinas pero somos seres muy
complicados porque tenemos dos problemas que tenemos que enfrentar. Y el primero es
la relacin entre mi cuerpo y mi alma y el segundo entre hombre y mujer. Por eso
somos tan tremendamente complicados.
Ahora, porque tengo el tiempo limitado, tal vez slo puedo abordar parte del problema,
a saber, la relacin entre el cuerpo y el alma y luego con suerte [hopefully], en mi libro
puedo responder el segundo: a saber, la relacin entre el hombre y la mujer que es algo
muy bello elegido por Dios y tan difcil de lograr.
Its so easy to be a chimpance, you know this is why I believe so many people is so
enthusiastic about evolution. I mean they jump from tree to tree, you eat, you drink, you
reproduce yourself, and you die. Its all very simple. It must be beautiful to be an angel,
you are a spiritual being, and you contemplate and sing Gods praise, but we are very
complicated beings because we have two problems we have to face. And the first one is
relation between my body and my soul and the second between man and woman. This
is why we are so tremendously complicated.

Now because I have limited time maybe I can only address part of the problem: namely,
the relation between body and soul and then hopefully in my book I can answer the
second: namely the relation between man and woman which is something so beautiful
chosen by God and so difficult to achieve.

Pasemos primero a la pregunta acerca del cuerpo y el alma. Ahora bien, me han dicho
que ustedes son muy inteligentes por eso voy a hablar de Metafsica. Metafsica es una
palabra inventada por Aristteles. Es un trabajo que escribi despus de su Fsica y
Fsica se ocupa de los problemas de la materia y metafsica se ocupa de problemas que
trascienden el universo material.
Estamos hechos de cuerpo y alma y esto es ya, un gran problema por qu? Porque el
cuerpo es fsico, es material, est compuesto por partes, es divisible. Pods verlo, pods
olerlo, pods medirlo, pods pesarlo! y entonces, como todos ustedes saben, este cuerpo
que cuids tanto, al que le prests tanta atencin; va a morir y un buen da volver a ser
ceniza. El hombre vino de la tierra y regresar a la tierra. Pero tenemos un alma y el
alma es no-visible, es no-material, no se extiende en el espacio, no tiene peso
A propsito, cul es el peso de tu memoria o cul es la extensin de tu mente?, vas a
ver que ella es inteligente, obviamente! Mi memoria pesa alrededor de diez libras,
desafortunadamente, la de mi hermana pesa doce, entonces estoy celosa de mi hermana.
Tiene algn sentido?
Let us first turn to the question of body and soul. Now, I was told that you are very
smart so I am going to turn to Metaphysics. Metaphysics is a word invented by
Aristotle, it is a work that he wrote after his Physics and Physics is concerned about
material problems and Metaphysics turned to problems that transcend the material
universe.
We are made of body and soul, thats already a big problem, why? Because the body is
physical, it is material, it is made of parts, it is divisible, you can see it, you can smell it,
you can measure, it you can weigh! And then, as you all know, this body that you care
for, that you pay so much attention to, is going to die; and one very fine day, it will go
back to ashes. Man came from the earth and he will go back to the earth. But we have a
soul and the soul is non visible, it is no material, it doesnt extend in space, it doesnt
weigh
By the way what is the weight of your memory? Or what is the length of your mind?
You are going to see that she is smart, obviously! My memory is about ten pounds,
unfortunately my sisters is twelve so I am jealous of my sister. It does make any sense?

Entonces, somos radicalmente ambas cosas y ambas son radicalmente diferentes. Sin
embargo, para ser un ser humano tens que tener cuerpo y alma, los dos juntos cmo
nos ser posible juntarlos alguna vez?
Bueno, ese es un gran problema, ustedes saben que si estudian la historia de la filosofa
-Saben? Se supone que la filosofa se dedica a obtener la sabidura y la sabidura es el
arte de vivir que es muy difcil porque muy pocas personas aprenden cmo hacerlo-. La
pregunta es cmo relacionar mi cuerpo y mi alma?
Ahora si ustedes estudian la historia de la filosofa, yo no soy erudita pero me he
dedicado toda mi vida la persona promedio y van a encontrar que, con frecuencia,
la historia de la filosofa es una amarga desilusin. Porque [efectivamente] encontrs
algunos magnficos y grandes pensadores, llenos de sabidura e inteligencia y luego /
entonces, encontrs un montn de tontos.
Si quers encontrar grandes errores, and a las universidades. Si vas a ests
totalmente salvado: 2 ms 2 resulta ser 4, pero entonces vas a las universidades y
encontrs que, en realidad, La verdad no existe. Y dedics horas y horas para conseguir
un PHD [licenciatura?] para hallar que, de todos modos, Nada es verdad! Perdiste tu
tiempo. Esa es una de las tragedias del mundo en que vivimos.
Pas [mucho de] mi tiempo en universidades por eso solamente puedo decirles que es
ah dnde escuchs grandes estupideces; y es por eso que Platn, en uno de sus
dilogos, habla de los filsofos que traicionan a la filosofa porque pueden desviarte
totalmente. Put you off track.
We are radically the two things and radically different, and YET in order to be human
beings youve got to have body and soul, both of them together. How we are ever going
to marry them?
Well, this is a big problem. Now, if you study the history of philosophy, you know
philosophy is supposed to be devoted to the pursuit of wisdom and wisdom is the art of
living which is very difficult because very few people learn how to do it.
Now, the question is, how to relate my body and my soul? If you study the history of
philosophy I am not a scholar but I devoted my whole life
and I learn something above the average person; and you find that the history of
philosophy is often a bitter disappointment, because you do find some magnificent and
great thinkers full of wisdom and intelligence and then you find plenty of fools. If you
want to find big mistakes, go to universities. If you go to the MPh (?) you are totally
saved: 2 plus 2 happens to be 4; but then you go to universities and you find out, that in
fact there is not truth; and you devote hours and hours to get a Phd to find out that
nothing is truth. Anyway, youve wasted your time. That is one of the tragedies of the
world in which we live.

I spent my time at universities, so I can one tell you_ this is where you hear big
stupidities and this is why Plato, in one of his Dialogues, speaks of philosophers who
betrays philosophy arrows, ropes because they can totally put you off track.

Ahora les voy a dar ejemplos concretos, porque no hay nada mejor que eso [nothing like
it]. Cul es la relacin entre el cuerpo y el alma? El cuerpo es fsico, material, visible,
pesa y est ubicado en el espacio; y mi alma es algo totalmente diferente. Cul es la
relacin entre ambos?
Mucha gente afirma que el gran problema de la filosofa es explicar la relacin entre el
cuerpo y el alma y tens muchas alternativas [que lo explican]. Ahora, permtanme
darles un ejemplo un alemn del siglo XIX llamado [?? Karl Vogt The brain secretes
thought as the stomach secretes gastric juice, the liver bile, and the kidneys urine.
ste?] Si nunca escucharon su nombre los perdono ,porque era muy tonto de todas
maneras lo voy a mencionar y darle algo de honor.
La relacin existente entre el cuerpo y el alma puede ser explicada, observando la
relacin que hay entre el cerebro y la mente. El cerebro es fsico, est ubicado en la
cabeza, tiene peso, no es muy bien parecido, medio grisceo, no muy atractivo pero
aparentemente es tremendamente importante para pensar bien.
Cul es la relacin entre el cerebro y la mente segn este gran famoso V..? La misma,
idntica relacin que existe entre los riones y la orina! Saben, no es una comparacin
muy potica pero la cito y me disculpo por hablar de orina ante este elevado y
distinguido pblico. Saben?, esto es sinsentido concentrado y por supuesto un xito
enorme, porque no hay nada que venda mejor que el sinsentido.
Como todos ustedes saben, sin entrar en grandes detalles, la orina tiene peso, tiene
color, tiene medida y se la puede situar y, [como corolario] es hmeda. Hasta donde yo
s, ninguna de estas caractersticas, pueden ser atribuidas al pensamiento, pero
olvidmonos de eso.
Now, I am going to give you concrete examples, because there is nothing like it. What
is the relation between my body and soul? My body is physical material, visible, weigh
and some location in space and my soul is something totally different. What is the
relation between the two? Many people are going to say that the greatest problem of
Philosophy is to explain the relationship between body and soul, and you are going to
have lots of choices. Now, let me give you one example: a German of the XIX century

of the name of Volytrot. If you never heard his name I forgive you because he was so
fool so but nevertheless I will mention him and give him some honor. What is the
relation existing between my body and soul? It can be explained that relationship by
seeing the relation existing between the brain and the mind. The brain is physical,
located in your head, it has weight, it is not very good looking, its sort of grayish, not
very attractive but apparently is tremendously important, you know, to think properly.
What is the relation between the brain and the mind according to this great, famous
Volyshot?. The same identical relation that exists between the kidneys and the urine!
You know, its not a poetic comparison but I quote it so may I excuse for speaking
about urine in a very high and distinguished public. You know, this is concentrated
nonsense and of course huge success, because there is nothing that sells better, than
nonsense. Now, after all because you all know, without going into great details, that the
urine has weight, has color, has dimension and you can locate it and on the top of it, its
wet. As far as I know none of this characteristics can be attributed to thought, but lets
forget about it.

Eso es lo que dijo Vy se hizo famoso por un tiempo, luego los errores se entierran,
despus son refutados y habitualmente se repiten cien aos despus en una formulacin
levemente distinta y entonces la persona es alabada y la llaman creativa. Todo lo que
tens que hacer es modificar la formulacin y hundir un poquito ms
Ahora, obviamente, una de las peculiaridades de la vida es que no hay nada ms fcil
que ir de un error a otro aparentemente opuesto. Una de las grandes cosas que descubri
mi marido es que errores opuestos tienen primeras causas [].
Saben? Chesterton, cuyo sentido del humor es algo que aprecio inmensamente, se re
de V y dice el materialista todo es materia- estudia la parte fcil, ya saben la
materia puede ser medida, etc; se olvidan de la parte difcil que es explicar qu es la
mente [el pensamiento] y luego se van a su casa a tomar el t, y el problema est
resuelto!
La reaccin no tarde en llegar, segn V. todo es material; no hay realidad spiritual.
La realidad es simplemente una especie de fenmeno [derivado/que sigue] al cuerpo
como los riones y la orina.
Its what Volytrot says and he became famous for a while and then: errors are buried,
they are refuted and then usually they are repeated hundred years later in a sligthly
different formulation and then people are praised and called creative all you need to do
is to change the formulation and to steep your a little bit from

Now, obviously one of the peculiarities of life it is nothing easier that to go from one
mistake to a seemingly opposite mistake. Now one of the great things that my husband
has discovered is that opposite mistakes have first causes.
You know Chesterton, whose sense of humour is something that I immensely
appreciate, makes fun of Volytrot and he says you know the materialists -everything is
matter- study the easy part, you know? Matter can be measured, can be weighed and so
on; they forget about the difficult part which is to explain what is mind and then they go
home to their tea, and then the problem is solved.
Now, the reaction is born to come according to Volytrot everything is material, there is
no spiritual reality; its simply some sort of phenomenon following the body, like the
kidneys and the urine.

Entonces viene Hegel, un gran nombre, un hombre cuya influencia fue tremenda y l
hizo otro descubrimiento. Todo es mente, [idea/pensamiento]; obviamente si decs que
todo es materia tens que ir hacia el otro extremo y decir que todo es pensamiento.
Una vez ms, recurramos a gente que tiene sentido del humor y los amo por su humor
Kierkegarard el mejor filsofo dans y, como entre parntesis porque slo hay uno y eso
es totalmente cierto, porque M produjo gente muy qureible pero en cunto al ms
grande, hay solamente uno que es Kierkegaard.
Aludamos a algo que dijo: imagnense a la seora Hegel y saben que ella slo es una
idea en la mente de su marido. Es una situacin bastante cmoda. Quiero decir, es
bastante difcil de imaginar el amor de la seora Hegel, excepto como una revancha si
es que ella es slo una idea en la mente de su marido.
Then comes Hegel, a great name, a man whose influence has been tremendous and he
made us another discovery: everything is mind. Obviously if you say that everything is
matter, you have to go to another extreme and say that everything is mind.
Then , once again let us turn to people that have humor and I loved them because if their
humor. Kierkegaard, the greatest Danish philosopher and as in pharentesis but there is
only one and thats absolutely truth because, then M has produce very lovable people
but as far as the greatest philosopher there is one Kierkegaard. The greatest Danish
philosopher: there is only one. Kierkegaard,
Let us refer to something that he says: imagine that you have Mrs. Hegel and you know
that she is just a thought in her husbands mind. Its a rather comfortable situation. I
mean it is sort of very, very difficult to picture the love of Mrs Hegel, except as a
revenge,if she is a that she is only a thought in her husbands mind.

De todos modos, lo que mi marido descubri y probablemente lo hayan descubierto

antes, y luego ha sido olvidado- es que los errores antagnicos probablemente tengan
bsicamente primeras causas. Quin es el gran discpulo de Hegel? Es Karl Marx, que
es el padre del atesmo, entonces uno va de una estupidez a la otra.
Permtanme darles ms ejemplos: es extremadamente fcil ir del atesmo no existe
Dios- al pantesmo todos son dioses- eso es extremadamente fcil. Saben? Algunas
personas le tienen alergia a la idea de Dios. Es que como lo Niezstche dijo con mucha
franqueza: Si huberia un Dios, como yo soportara no ser Dios? ergo l no existe. Esto
es lo que yo llamo un poderoso argumento lgico: No quiero que exista, entonces no
existe. Pero en el momento siguiente, hacs el feliz descubrimiento de que cada uno es
Dios. Quiero decir, si vos mismo sos Dios, no deberas oponerte a la existencia de Dios
porque eso te beneficia.
At any rate, what my husband has discovered -and probably it was discovered before,
and then forgotten- is that antagonistic mistakes have basically first causes. Now, who is
a greatest disciple of Hegel? Is Karl Marx, who is the father of atheism, so you go from
one stupidity to the other.
Let me give you more examples: it is extremely easy to go from atheism there is no
God- to pantheism everybody is God- that s extremely easy. You know, some people
are allergic to the idea of God. Because, I mean ,as Niesztche put it very bluntly: If there
was a God, how could I stand not to be God? ergo He doesnt exist. That is what I call it
powerful logical argument I dont want Him to exist therefore He doesnt exist. But the
next moment you make the happy discovery that everybody is God. But then I mean, if
you are god yourself, you shouldnt oppose to the existence of God because you benefit
by it.

Ahora les dar otro ejemplo, una vez ms, estudiando nuevamente la historia de la
filosofa: escepticismo radical, no pods tener certeza de nada. No existe la verdad y
por supuesto vos afirms que esto es cierto. Ahora, qu viene como reaccin?

el

racionalismo: la mente humana tiene una respuesta para todas las preguntas, la mente
humana es suprema; y entonces por supuesto vas de una estupidez no existe la verdad
a otra estupidez el hombre tiene respuesta para todas las preguntas.
O piensen en otra [postura] y la menciono hoy porque es un verdadero peligro muy
vigente hoy, saben? la televisin, y las revistas y el resto.

El siglo XIX fue llamado puritano. Haba ciertas cosas que no deban mencionarse
porque eran shockeantes, saben? se la llam la era victoriana y por supuesto
[provocar] una reaccin.
Hoy, cul es esa reaccin? El horror de los horrores llamado pornografa y es increble
qu tan fcil es ir de una abominacin a otra abominacin, aunque yo sostengo que el
puritanismo no es tan malo como la pornografa porque la pornografa es, en realidad, el
ataque ms vergonzoso a la dignidad de la mujer y cmo trato de mostrar en mi pequeo
libro El privilegio de ser mujer, las mujeres estn llamadas a [construir sobrestand
upon?] la virtud de la pureza.
Now, I will give you another example, once again study the history of philosophy:
radical scepticism: you can not be certain about anything, there is no truth and you
claim this to be truth, of course. Now, what comes as a reaction? rationalism: mans
mind has an answer to all questions, mans mind is supreme; and then of course they go
to one stupidity there is no truth to another stupidity you know, man has an answer to
all questions.
Or you think another one and I mention this today because this is a very real danger
today very actual, you know . TV and magazines and the rest of things. The XIX
century was called puritanical, there were certain things should not be mentioned
because they were shocking, you know they called it the Victorian era and of course is
going to be a reaction of it. Today, what is the reaction? The horror of horrors called
pornography and its amazing how easy to go from one abomination to another
abomination; even though I claimed that puritanism is not as bad as pornography
because pornography is actually the most disgraceful attack of the dignity of women;
and as I try to show in my little book The privilege of being a woman; women are called
upon to stand on the virtue of purity.

Ahora esto me conduce ms lejos acerca de cul es la relacin existente entre mi cuerpo
y mi alma. Antes del pecado original haba dos instrumentos que tocaban la misma
meloda: el cuerpo en el nivel material y el alama en el nivel espiritual y haba armona
perfecta entre ambos.
El pecado original tuvo terribles consecuencias y hoy todava estamos sufrindolas y
mucho [very muich so].
Porque el hombre se ha rebelado contra Dios, el cuerpo comenz a rebelarse contra el
alma y sepan que uno de de los grandes problemas que tenemos hoy es la tensin
existente entre el cuerpo y el alma porque el cuerpo ya no obedece los dictados del
alma.
10

Now, this leads me further, what is the relationship existing between my body and soul?
Before original sin, there were two instruments that were singing the same melody: the
body on the material level and the soul on the spiritual level; and there were perfect
harmony between them. Original sin had dreadful consequences and we are still
suffering from original sin today and very much so. Because man has revolted against
God, the body started revolting against the soul and know that one of the big problems
that we have, is the tension existing between the body and the soul because the body no
longer obeys the dictates the soul.

Permtanme observar nuestra sociedad de hoy. Una de las tragedias de nuestra sociedad
es la droga: millones y millones de personas adictas a las drogas, millones y millones de
personas adictas al alcohol o puede ser a los cigarrillos o lo que quieran pero lo trgico
acerca de esto es que empezs bebiendo pensando que es divertido o porque tus amigos
toman y un buen da hacs el trgico descubrimiento de que ests enganchado/ atrapado
[hooked], que yo no pods [vivir]sin eso.
Saben? yo tena que era un fumado adicto [addicted to smoke] y despus de 15 o 20
minutos era [getting to be] totalmente incapaz de [hacer] ningn razonamiento porque
tena que fumarse un cigarrillo.
Saben? Algunas personas no pueden estar sin el alcohol, otras no pueden sin drogas o
pornografa o lo que fuere y un buen da te encontrs privado de tu libertad. Hablamos
de libertad porque esta libertad implica la tremenda responsabilidad de usarla bien o,
sino, en vez de ser libre te transforms en esclavo y esto es lo que est pasando en
nuestra sociedad, millones de nosotros somos esclavos.
Let me turn to our society today. One of the tragedies of our societies are drugs:
millions and millions of people addicted to drugs, millions and millions of people
addicted to alcohol or can be to cigarettes of what you please; but what is so tragic
about this is that you start drinking thinking that is fun or because your friends drink
and one very fine day, you make the tragic discovery that you are hooked, you can no
longer without it.
You know I had who was addicted to smoke and I mean after 15, 20 minutes it was
getting to be totally incapable of doing any sort of reasoning because he has to have a
cigarette.
You know, some people can not do it without alcohol, other people cant do without
drugs, other people cannot do without porn; whatever might be and one very fine day
you find that you are deprived of your freedom.
Now, we speak about freedom, but this freedom implies a tremendous responsibility
that we use it well; otherwise instead of being free you become a slave and this is
whats happening in our society, million of us are slaves.

11

Ahora esto me lleva a una bella intuicin de Platn. Nunca puedo dar una charla sin
alabar a Platn porque mi deuda hacia l es inmensa. Cuando el habla de la educacin,
que es una de las cosas ms importantes en la vida humana, saben? garantizar una
educacin rea, una buena educacin que es una suerte de elevacin del nivel en el que
estamos llamados a estar. Por eso ustedes son privilegiados y tienen suerte de obtener
una educacin real porque a veces, uno puede terminar el colegio siendo peor que
cuando entr.
En el preciso momento que empecemos a examinar que es lo que nos tiene que decir
Platn. Dice que uno de los principales objetivos de la educacin es ensear a un chico
a lograr victoria sobre el placer. Ahora, si sos un educador y tens chicos, sabs que
desde el momento en que son as de altos, si nos les das algo que quieren, hacen un
capricho, ese es un modo de conseguir lo que quieren. Si algo es placentero, si algo te
da satisfaccin sents -en nuestra sociedad- que tens el derecho de tenerlo, y cuando lo
tens, no lo aprecis porque no sos agradecido y esa es una de las cosas muy
importantes en nuestra sociedad. Mi moribundo esposo me dijo: sabs cul es la llave
del felicidad?, gratitud.
Ahora supongamos que ests hooked en el placer, meditemos por un momento en el
misterio llamado placer. Bueno, placer es algo que te satisface. Obviamente nos gusta
lo que es placentero y nos disgusta lo que no es placentero. El dolor nos da pavor a
todosy, les digo algo con mucha franqueza: si el dolor no tiene sentido yo no podra
soportar el pinchazo de una aguja porque soy cobarde [sissy], pero esta es unas de las
cosas admirables acerca del Catolicismo romano. Digo Catolicismo Romano porque el
nfasis es muy fuerte en eso y tambin lo encontrs en cierta medida, en la Iglesia
Ortodoxa. El sufrimiento tiene sentido, y en el momento en el que tiene sentido,
[entonces] es transfigurado. Tens que encontrarle el sentido. Bsicamente el sentido se
halla en la cruz. Sabes que Cristo tuvo que sufrir y morir para salvarnos y es un
privilegio cuando pods sufrir y unirte a Cristo en la cruz.
Now, this is leads me to a beautiful insight of Plato. I can never give a talk without
Plato, praising Plato because my debt to him is immense. When he speaks about
education, which is obviously, one of the most important things in human life, you
know to guarantee a real education, a fine education which means a sort of elevation of
the level in which we are called upon to be. You know this is why, you are fortunate

12

and lucky to get a real education, because sometimes you can leave school being worst
than when you entered.
The very moment we start examining what Plato has to say. He says that one of the
main purposes of education is to train a child to achieve victory over pleasure.
Now, if your are an educator and you have children, you know that from the time
they are this heigh if you dont give them something that they want, they go into
tantrums, that is a way of obtaining what they want. If something is pleasant, if
something gives you satisfaction you feel you feel in our society that you have the right
to have it, and the moment you have the right to have it, you dont appreciate it because
your are not grateful. And this is one of the things, which is so important in our society,
My dying husband said to me you know what is the key to happiness? Gratitude.
Now suppose that you are hooked on pleasure, Let us for one moment meditate on
the mistery called pleasure. Well, pleasure is something that satisfies you. Obviously we
like what is pleasant and we dislike what is not pleasant. We all dread pain and I tell
you something very frankly: if pain had no meaning, I could not stand the prick of a
needle because Im a sissy, but this one of the amazing things about Roman Catholicism
I say roman Catholicism because emphasis is so strong in it; you also find it to a certain
extent in Orthodox church. Suffering has meaning and the moment that you have
meaning it is transfigured and you must find the meaning. You know, basically the
meaning is to be found on the cross, you know that Christ has to suffer and die in order
to save us and it is a privilege that when you can suffer and join yourself to Christ on
the cross.

Ahora, el placer no es malo, despus de todo si disfruts comida, si disfruts deporte,

si disfruts una bebida rica, lo que sea. Esto es algo que Dios puso en la naturaleza
humana pero tens que darte cuenta de dos cosas, como mi

marido me dijo: Si

persegus el placer como uno de los principales objetivos de tu vida, ests totalmente en
el camino equivocado . El placer debe ser apreciado como un regalo y esa es la razn
por la que decimos la palabra gracias es algo crucial; pero a raz del pecado original
es casi inevitable que los placeres legtimos sean abusados, esto es que vos te ds a ellos
hasta a tal punto que un muy buen da te encontrs con que tu libertad est limitada,
porque no pods vivir sin esto o esto o esto y, entonces; desafortunada y trgicamente-y
esto es algo que debe ser mencionado en una sociedad como la nuestra- hay placeres
perversos que van contra la naturaleza: placeres que son esencialmente malos en todos
los momentos y en todos lo lugares y en todas la circunstancias. Hasta donde puedo ver,
eso es algo que es borroso en nuestra sociedad. Siempre y cuando algo nos d placer y
satisfaccin, sentimos que tenemos derecho a eso.

13

Saben? cuando Viktor Frankl, un judo alemn, un judo austraco, estuvo en un

campo de concentracin por cinco aos (y perdi a su padre y perdi a su madre y
perdi a su joven mujer), escribi un libro que deberan leer lean porque es un gran
libro: El hombre en busca de sentido. Y se hizo muy famoso, vendi millones de copias
y lo invitaron a venir a Estados Unidos y lleg a Nueva York y resulta que vio
[happened to see] la Estatua de la libertad , y por supuesto es un hermoso smbolo
porque una de las grandezas de Estados Unidos -y se pueden decir abundantes cosas
buenas, acerca de Estados Unidos- es que es un pas que reconoce la dignidad del
hombre y el hecho de que es un ser libre y no debe ser un esclavo del estado.
Y se qued en Estados Unidos tres o cuatro meses, y cuando se iba, un periodista le
dijo:Seor Frankl o doctor Frankl: usted ha estado atravesado ya, Estados Unidos y
ahora que conoce el pas. cul es su impresin final? Y, estando en el corazn de
Nueva York, dijo Sabe, hace cuatro meses vine y me encontr con la Estatua de la
libertad. Ahora lo que deseara que hicieran es que construyan una estatua similar en
San Francisco que se llame La estatua de la Responsabilidad.
Now, pleasure is not evil, I mean after all if you enjoy food, if you enjoy sport, if you
enjoy a pleasant drink, whatever it maybe. This is something that God has put in human
nature but you have to realize two things, as my husband said: If you pursue pleasure as
one of your main aims in life, you are totally on the wrong track. Pleasure is to be
appreciated as a gift and this why we say that word thank you, this is something so
crucial; but because of original sin it is almost inevitable that legitimate pleasures are
abused, in the sense that you give yourself to it to such an extent that one very fine day
you find one day that your freedom is limited, because you cant do without so and so
and so; and then unfortunately and tragically -and this is something that must be
mentioned in a society like ours-, there are perverse pleasure: pleasures that are against
nature. Pleasures that are essentially evil at all times in all places and in all
circumstances Now, as far as I can tell you, this is something which is blurred in our
society. As long as something gives us pleasure and satisfaction, we feel that we have a
right to it.
When Viktor Frankl, -you know a German Jew, an Austrian Jew- was in a
concentration camp for 5 years and he lost his father, he lost his mother and he lost his
young wife and then he wrote a book which you should read because its a great book
Search for meaning. And he became famous, he sold millions of copies and then he was
invited to come to the United States and he arrived to New York and he happened to see
the Statue of liberty and of course it is a beautiful symbol because one of the greatness
of United States -and plenty of great things can be said about the US- is a country that
recognize the dignity of man and the fact that is a free being and should no be a slave of
the state. And he stayed in the United States for 3 or 4 months, and when he left a
reporter said to him Mr Frankl or Dr Frankl: you have been through to the US now and
you get to know the country, what is your final impression? And he was in the heart of
New York and he said: You know, four months ago I came and I greeted the Statue of

14

liberty. Now what I wish you to do is to build a similar statue in San Francisco called
the Statue of responsibility.

Esto debera darles qu pensar [food for thought] porque la libertad es un regalo
maravilloso pero se lo puede ser abusar abominablemente, y si es abusado entonces
vamos a convertirnos en vctimas de este abuso. Tomen, por ejemplo el terrible abuso
de la palabra libertad de eleccin hoy, que en realidad significa, es el tcito derecho a
matar bebs en el vientre [materno]. Permtanme mencionar que mi marido, poco antes
de morir, me dijo: Sabs, estoy muy viejo para escribir otro libro, pero si tuviera
algunos aos escribira un libro Hitler gan la guerra. Qu ttulo horrible!
Fue militarmente derrotado, Alemania estaba de rodillas [on its knees] y estaba
destruda. Nazismo hoy es historia vieja. Pero una cosa es cierta: muchos de los
horrores que haban penetrado en Alemania: la eutanasia, el aborto, la muerte de
millones de personas asesinadas que eran inocentes y hoy en este pas nuestro, est
legalizado. La libertad de matar y simplemente decir: Es legal, es algo muy temible.
Ahora bien, las leyes son importantes, siempre y cuando tengamos las leyes
correctas, pero si tenemos leyes que son inmorales, constituyen una amenaza para la
sociedad porque cada gran sociedad en la historia Y Estados Unidos es un pas grande
y poderoso-. Pero, estudien historia y van a encontrar, ya sea Atenas en el siglo IV o
Roma; en el V siglo AC, cada uno de los grandes pases colaps por su inmoralidad. Un
gran problema no es un problema econmico, por supuesto que hay problemas
econmicos! no es un problema poltico, por supuesto que hay problemas polticos!, El
gran problema es la Sabidura, la Verdad y la comprensin del hecho de que, a menos
que persigamos la verdad y la bondad, estamos sentenciados/condenados [doomed],
aunque militarmente seamos el pas mas poderoso del mundo.
Entonces una de las grandes cuestiones de hoy es cmo reconquistar la relacin
armoniosa entre mi cuerpo y mi alma, y djenme mencionarles algo: cuando yo era
chica comparado con la situacin de hoy- oa a menudo la palabra asceticismo.
Asceticismo, significa un libre opcin por sacrificios. Pueden ser golosinas, puede ser
una comida particularmente buena, puede ser quedarte un ratito en la cama flirteando
con tu almohada y ese tipo de cosas y sencillamente decir Bueno, cada da voy a hacer
al menos una vez, voy a hacer un sacrificio. Voy a decirle no a un golosina ms. Estoy

15

tentada de tener la tercera, ya com dos pero la terceradespus de todo no es malo

cada da al menos voy a hacer un sacrifico y voy a decir que no a una golosina ms y la
tercera Despus de todo no es malo, pero un da descubrs que ests atrapada.
This should give you food for thought, because freedom is a marvelous gift but it can
be abominably abused and if it is abused we are going to become the victims of this
abuse. Take for example, the terrible abuse of the word freedom of choice today,
which actually means to say the tacit right to murder babies in the wombs. May me
mention my husband shortly before he died he said to me You know? I am too old to
write another book but if I had several years Id write a book Hitler won the war. What
a horrible title! It was defeated military, Germany was on its knees, it was destroyed,
you know, today Nazism is an old story. But one thing is certain, many of the horrors
there were, penetrated in Germany. Euthanasia, abortion, the killing of the innocent:
millions of people were killed that there were innocent. And today, in this country of
ours it is legalized. This is something that is so fearful, freedom to kill and simply to say
it is legal.
Now, laws are important provided that we have proper laws but when we have laws
that are immoral, our society is threatened by it, because each great society and the
United States is a great and powerful country. But study History and you need to find
out whether it is Athens in the IV century, whether it is Rome in the V century AD,
every single great country that collapsed was because of its immorality. A big problem
is not an economic problem, of course there are economic problems! it is not a political
problem, of course there are political problems. The big problem is wisdom, truth and
an understanding of the fact that unless we pursuit truth and goodness we are doomed,
even though military we were the more powerful country in the world.
Therefore, one of the big questions today is to reconquer the harmonious relationship
between my body and my soul, and may I mention something: when I was a child compared to the situation today- I often heard the word asceticism. Asceticism means to
say a free choice of sacrifices it can be candies, it can be a particularly good food, it can
be staying linger in bed flirting with your pillow, and that sort of things and simply to
say Well, every single day at least once, Im going to do one sacrifice. I am going to
say no to one more candy Im tempted to eat the third one, I already eat two but the
third one I mean, after all is not bad but one day you discover that you are hooked.

La palabra asceticismo y esto es algo muy crucial en la vida de todos lo santos.

Ssaben por qu insisto en esto? Porque al final de mi vida. cuando s que el teln est
por caer, llegu a la extraa y simple conclusin - recibida bastante recientemente- que
muchos matrimonios estn hacindose pedazos [fall into pieces]. Cuando adverts la
belleza del matrimonio, que Dios los cre hombre y los hizo el uno para el otro, porque
el hombre se incompleto sin la mujer y la mujer est muy incompleta sin el hombre.

16

El matrimonio esta colapsando. Mucha gente ya no se casa porque, ya saben,

despus de todo te vas a divorciar y cuesta dinero, es mejor cohabitar, el dinero es algo
que le habla a mucha gente y si choabits no tens que preocuparte.
Llegu al final de mi vida con la profunda conviccin de que: para reconciliar
hombre y mujer -que debera ser una de las prioridades urgentes porque se supone que
debe ser as y el hombre necesita a la mujer y la mujer al hombre porque se pertenecen
uno al otro [belong together], se complementan. Llegue a la conclusin de que, a menos
que haya armona entre mi alma y mi cuerpo, es casi imposible para m relacionarme
con propiedad hacia el otro sexo. Esta es la razn por la cual muchas jvenes y muchos
jvenes, son un desastre. Quiero decir que son adictas al alcohol o al sexo o lo que sea
porque estn tan mal que no saben el verdadero sentido de la vida, son infelices, estn
divididas y caen en la ilusin de que cuando encuentren al novio o novia va a ser la
solucin y esto los lleva a otra catstrofe.
Recientemente estuve hablando a una nia que ao tras ao, diez, doce aos, siempre
cay en la ilusin si pudiera tener un romance, entonces me sanara y luego se puso
peor y peor hasta que estuvo al umbral del suicidio. Primero, debes tener armona entre
tu cuerpo y tu alma y una vez que tens esta armona; ya ests lista para abrirte a este
magnfico invento de Dios: la relacin entre un hombre y una mujer.
Ahora permtanme volver al Gnesis. Cuando tena cinco aos, iba a la escuela y me
hablaron del Gensis- Algo hermoso acerca de la educacin que recib es que yo viva
en un pas catlico y con frecuencia la historia bblica se narraba con magnficas
pinturas.
The word asceticism and this is something that is so crucial in the life of saints. Now,
why do I insist upon it? Because at the very end of my life, when I know that the curtain
is about to fall, Ive come to the strange conclusion -given to me fairly recently- that so
many marriages are going to pieces. I mean, when you realize the beauty of marriage,
that God created man and woman and he made them for one another, because man is
incomplete without woman and woman is incomplete without man.
Why is it that we live in a society where marriage is collapsing many people no
longer gets married because you know after all you are going to get divorced and it
costs money, so its much better to cohabite, you know this is something that speaks to
many people; money and if you cohabit overYou dont have to bother.
Ive got to the end of my life deep conviction that in order to reconcile man and
woman that it should be one of our top priorities today because it is meant to be and
man needs woman and woman needs man because they belong together and are
complementary.
Ive came to the conclusion that unless there is harmony between my body and my
soul it is almost impossible for me to relate properly to the other sex. I mean and this is
why many young girls and young men and they are a mess, I mean they are addicted

17

o alcohol or to all sex or to whatever it might be, are messy they dont know what is the
meaning of life, they are unhappy, they are torn and they fall into the illusion that when
they find boyfriend or girlfriend it will be the solution and it goes to another
catastrophe.
Recently I was talking to a girl who year after year after year, 10,12 years, you know
always fell into the illusion If I could have an affair, then I would be healed and she
got worst and worst until she was on the point of suicide. First you must have harmony
between your body and your soul and once you have this harmony you are open for the
magnificent invention of God: the relationship exiting between man and woman.
Now, let me go back to Genesis. When I was five years old I went to school and I
was told about Genesis. And you know? the beautiful thing about the education that I
got is that I was living in a catholic country and you know very often biblical story was
told by magnificent paintings.

Cuando vivs en un pas que est atestado de magnficas pobras de arte y los mirs y
te dejan una impresin. Y estaba Adn y miraba a los ms variados animales y el
chimpanc ms buen mozo Entonces Dios vio que no era bueno para el hombre estar
solo. La cre a Eva y lo sumi en un profundo sueo y misteriosa y simblicamente su
cuerpo fue tomado de Adn. Es la nica criatura cuyo cuerpo no est hecho de la tierra,
sino de un ser humano, lo cual le da dignidad a la mujer, va a encontrar su plenitud en la
Santsima Virgen. Y esa es la razn por la cual ser una mujer es un privilegio porque
demasiadas mujeres han perdido totalmente de vista la belleza increble de su misin.
Y Adn se despierta de su sueo y ve a Eva y cul es su respuesta? huesos de mis
huesos y carne de mi carne, se deleit! Encontr a alguien digno de ser su compaera.
Yo soy una mujer voy a hacer un comentario personal. Siendo mujer, y habiendo
tenido en mi vida, el privilegio de encontrar hombres, dignos de ser llamado tales;
comenzando con mi amado padre y mi marido y algunos remarcables sacerdotes,
diferentes hombres muy, muy queridos. Yo s que la respuesta de una mujer -viviendo
la dignidad de su humanidad- es sorpresa, admiracin, gratitud y un profundo, profundo
sentimiento de admiracin, porque ella ve en el hombre la persona que la protege, quien
es fuerte, el que es valiente, el que tiene la objetividad de la que ella a menudo carece.
Saben? La gran y muy talentosa filsofa Edith Stein, que fue, canonizada -y estudi,
saben con el mismo background de mi marido-, en 1930 ella dio una bella conferencia
en Saltzburg, distinguiendo entre el hombre y la mujer y yo creo que una obra de
literatura muy profunda por la sencilla razn de que ella realmente entiende qu intent

18

Dios cuando cre hombres y que intent cundo cre mujeres y su magnfica
complementariedad. Una vez ms, esto es algo muy magnfico, en el Catolicismo y
tambin entre los Ortodoxos.
You know, when you live in a country you know which is packed with master pieces
of art and you see them and made an impression upon you and then was Adam and he
was looking at the most various animals and the most handsome chimpance and was
turned on and then God knew that it wasnt good for man to be alone. And then crated
Eve and put him in a deep sleep and misteriously and symbolically her body is taken
form Adam. The only creature whose body is not made form the earth but is made from
a human being, which gives to a woman a dignity which is going to find its fulfilment in
the Holy Virgin and I mean this is one of the privileges to be a woman because so many
women has totally lost sight of the incredible beauty of their mission.
And Adam wakes upon his sleep and he sees Eve and what is his response? Bone of
my bone and flesh of my flesh he is delighted, he found someone worthy to be his
companion.
You know, I am a woman I m going to make own personal commentary. Being a
human and having had a privilege in my life of meeting men, males, worthy to be called
such; starting with my beloved father and my husband, some very remarkable priests
some very very dears man and know that the response of woman seeing a man
living to the dignity as a human being is awe, gratitude, and a deep, deep feeling of
looking up because she sees in man the person who protects her, the one who is strong,
the one who is courageous ,the one who has this objectivity that she often lacks.
You know the great very talented philosopher Edith Stein, who was canonized, and
studied, of, you know with the same background as my husband. You know in 1930 she
gave her very, very beautiful conference in Saltzburg distinguishing between men and
women and I think it is a very profound piece of literature for the plain reason that
she truly understands what God meant when he created men and what He meant when
He creating females and this magnificent complementariness. You know this is
something which is so magnificent once again in Catholicism and also in Orthodox
church.

Cristo es el ser ms perfecto que existe. Es el hijo de Mara y tambin es el Hijo de

Dios. Y entonces tens a la Santsima Virgen Maria de quien desafortunadamente los
evangelistas se han olvidado; y yo personalmente creo que la tragedia del feminismo,
que es la caricactura ms abominable de la bella femineidad humana se debe a que los
protestantes perdieron su devocin a la Virgen.
Ahora, en el plan de Dios esto es algo que fue tan magnfico. El hombre representa la
fuerza, la caballerosidad, objetividad, honestidad, etc. y

la mujer es sensibilidad,

empata: corazn! Edith Stein dijo que las mujeres estn ms atradas hacia lo que es
personal que lo impersonal.
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Una de las cosas que siempre me intrig acerca de los hombres y me intriga hasta el
da de hoy, es un misterio que no logro entender; es su pasin por las mquinas. Me
acuerdo de mi hermano de nio... mquinas, yo pensaba que era poco potico, no era
lindo. Bueno, slo era un chico, Qu se poda hacer al respecto? Pero si las mujeres
son dignas de ser llamadas mujeres, se sienten atradas a lo personal. Esta es la razn
por la cual una mujer que no ama a los bebs no es digna de ser llamada mujer y cuando
le a Simon de Beauvoir, la famosa francesa llamada feminista. Se hizo muy famosa,
nmero uno porque era amiga de Jean Paul Sartre y nmero dos porque escribi varios
libros, y se la llama la madre del feminismo francs. Y cuando leo en sus Memorias que
tiene horror de los bebs porque no hay nada que sea ms emotivo, ms
increblemente bello que un beb. Cuando tens un hombre y una mujer abrazndose y
en cercana colaboracin con Dios, tienen un privilegio que no es concedido a los
ngeles: traer otro ser al mundo.

Christ is the most perfect being that exists, He is the Son of Mary, He is also God
and then you have the Holy Virgin Mary which unfortunately protestants have forgotten
and I personally believe that the tragedy of feminism which is the most abominable
caricature of the beauty of femininity is due to the fact that the protestants have lost the
devotion to the Holy Virgin.
Now in Gods plan this is something which it was so magnificent. I mean man stands
for strength, for chivalrous, objectivity, honesty and so on and woman is sensitivity,
empathy; you know heart. Edith Stein said woman are more attracted to what is
personal than what is impersonal.
You know one of the things that always baffles me about men and baffles me until
this day it is a mystery I cannot understand it, its the passion for machines I mean I
recall muy brother as a child, machines. I thought it was upoethical, I meant it wasnt
beautiful. Well, he was only boy so what you could do? but women if they are worthy to
be called women are attracted to what is personal and this is why a woman who does
not love babies is not worthy to be called woman and when I read Simone de Beauvoir
the famous French feminist. She became so famous I mean she was of Jean Paul Sartre
number one and number two she wrote several books, and she is called the mother of
French feminism. And when I read in her Memoirs I have a horror of babies as if [the
sun sets] because which is nothing that is more moving, more unbelievably beautiful
than a baby. You know when you have man and woman embracing each other and in
close collaboration with God have the privilege which is not given to angels to bring
another being into the world.

20

Entonces llega el pecado original y esta magnfica complementariedad va a ser

arruinada por el pecado y se ve desde el principio. Cmo los hombres representan la
fortaleza y el valor pero en cuntos de ellos esto degenera en brutalidad. Cuando un
hombre abusa de su fuerza fsica y le pega a los que son ms dbiles, tengo semejante
sentimiento de horror que no puedo poner en mis palabras; porque la fuerza le ha sido
dada para proteger, para ayudar, para animar a la gente y en cambio se abusa.
Desgraciadamente las bellas caractersticas de la mujer tambin se han pervertido, y
cuando penss por ejemplo, en la sensibilidad de una mujer, el sentimiento, la capacidad
de sentir con [into] [dentro de los] otros, empata - que es probablemente una de las
fortalezas caractersticas de la verdadera femineidad- y se degenera completa y
totalmente en sentimentalismo y egocentrismo.
Es una tragedia y esa es la situacin en la que estamos viviendo hoy, que las bellas
caractersticas masculinas y las bellas caractersticas femeninas se degradan y entonces
se entabla la guerra entre los sexos y hay una batalla que se est librando. Hombres
despreciando a mujeres como si fueran estpidas e inferiores y mujeres desdeando a
los hombres porque son brutales y egostas; esto es algo que se escucha constantemente.
Feminismo es la muerte de la femineidad y la femineidad es uno de los grandes
regalos que Dios ha dado al mundo en el que vivimos, encarnado en al Santsima
Virgen.
A travs de mi marido he descubierto descubr la belleza de la literatura catlica y es
mi pan cotidiano y cuando lees palabras como estas Dios ha dado la salvacin en las
manos de una Mujer, Dios mo! Jvenes! Despirtense a la belleza de su vocacin! y
entonces vern que Dios les est dando una llave, las va a ayudar a recrear la armona
que podra existir entre el hombre y la mujer y que encuentra su magnfica expresin en
el matrimonio catlico. Que Dios los bendiga!
Then comes original sin, this magnificent complementarity is going to be ruined by
sin and you see that from the very beginning. You know men stand for strength and
courage but in how many of them does it degenerate into brutality. You know when a
man abuses of his physical strength and beats those that are weaker, I have such a
feeling of horror, that I cannot put it into my words, because hes given strength to
protect, to help, to encourage people and then he abuses it. Now, unfortunately, the
beautiful females characteristics have also degenerated, and when you think for example
of a woman sensitivity, you know the feeling, the capacity to feel oneself into others:
empathy, which is probably one of the very strengthening characteristics of true
femininity and this degenerates it completely and totally into sentimentality or
selfcenteredeness.
It is a tragedy and that is the situation in which we are living in today, that the
beautiful male characteristics degenerate and the beautiful female characteristics
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degenerate and then you have the war between the sexes and there is a war going on.
You know men looking down on women as being stupid and inferior and women
looking down upon men because they are brutal and selfish, you know this is something
that you hear constantly.
Feminism is the death of femininity and femininity is one of the great gifts that God
has given to the world in which we lived, embodied in the holy Virgin.
You know from my husband, I discovered the incredible beauty of the catholic
literature and it is my daily food, and when you read words such as God has given
salvation in the hands of a Woman you know, my God dear girls! Wake up to the
beauty of your vocation! and then you are going to see that God is giving you a key, is
going to help you to recreate the harmony that could exist between man and woman
which finds its magnificent expression in catholic marriage so may God bless you!

Traduccin: Carolina Maggio

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