Catholic women and girls, formerly you would have thought only of worthilyplaying your sacred and fruitful role in the management of a wholesome,strong, and radiant home; or you would have consecrated your life to theservice of God in the composure of the cloister or in apostolic and charitableworks. Beautiful ideals, where woman, in her proper place, and from herproper place, exercises quietly a powerful influence. But now you appearabroad, you enter the arena to take part in the battle: you have not soughtto do so, but courageously you accept your new duties; not as resignedvictims nor merely in a defensive spirit; you are determined to pass tothe counter-attack and conquer...

Never, We believe, never in the course of the history of humanity, haveevents required on the part of woman so much initiative and daring, somuch sense of responsibility, so much fidelity, moral strength, spiritof sacrifice and endurance of all kinds of sufferings -- in a word, somuch heroism. The relations, the letters in which women reveal to Us whathas been and still is, in these cruel times, their own fate and the fateof their family, are so impressing that one questions whether this be anightmare, and asks oneself how such things can have happened in our timeand in the world in which we live.

In the course of these awful years, women, old and young, have beenforced to practice more than manly virtues, and to practice them to a degreerequired of men only in extraordinary circumstances.

Now, who will pretend that all that is humanly possible has been doneto enable woman to draw from the Christian faith, from Christian education,the energy, the patience, the perseverance, the supernatural help neededto keep without faltering under continual trials, conjugal fidelity, anda maternal solicitude?

It is a sorrow and a shame to have to mention and confess that evenamong Catholics, false doctrines on the dignity of woman, on marriage andthe family, on conjugal fidelity and divorce, even on life and death, havestealthily infiltrated souls, and like gnawing worms have attacked theroots of the Christian family and of the Christian ideals of womanhood...

You have wished to receive from Us some directions for the practicaland efficacious carrying out of your resolutions. We shall express themand group them as follows:

1. A Lively and Supernatural Faith

First of all, a faith proud, alert, fearless, firm and alive to truth,to the triumph of Catholic doctrine... Surely the battle will be hard,especially the battle for the rights of the family, the dignity of woman,the child, and the school. But you have nature on your side, and consequentlythose of right mind and good sense, who are after all the majority -- youhave, above all, God. Bear witness then to the thought of St. Paul: Yourfaith has made of you heroes in the fight (Hebr. 11:33 ff).

But take care: the great secret of winning others is, above all, togive them evidence that for a Catholic, her faith is a solid and livingreality.

... the first condition is to oppose them [enemies] by carrying outin your life the law of God spontaneously, joyously, and fully accepted.To take this law lightly, would be a confession of a deplorable frivolityand a fatal instability... You know the world of today well enough, deardaughters, to realize that you yourselves who live in it, need strengthand courage at each step, to triumph over the temptations and seductionsof your own tendencies by an energetic "No!" But how can you say this "no"and repeat it tirelessly, unless you understand and humbly recognize, inthe presence of God, that as human creatures you are powerless and needthe grace of God. Now you cannot expect to obtain this grace without prayerand sacrifice...

As has been well said: to live today in our great cities without lossof faith and purity requires no less heroism than was needed in the daysof bloody persecution...

Many times recently We have emphasized this recommendation because,even among Catholics, there have been tendencies to identify the doctrineof the Church with theories irreconcilable with Christian thought...

The Church always has in mind the good of all the people, the genuinecommon good. When questions of just social demands arise, she is alwaysin the vanguard of their promotion. This is especially true for those whichyou, dear daughters, set forth expressly in your program:

a more equitable distribution of wealth has always been and will alwaysremain a chief objective of Catholic social doctrine.

We can say as much for "equality of salary, for men and women, providedthere be equal work and output." The Church has long made that demand herown...

We give to you all, and to all who are united with you, to your worksand institutions, as well as to your families, and to all who are dearto you, Our Apostolic Blessing.