Thanks to God and the congregation I have been able to do this Dominican course in Lima and I would like to share briefly with you what most impressed me...

First of all I became aware in a profound way through serious historical research that both Church and the Order of Preachers are a mixture of saints and sinners.
In second place, my investigation of historical facts led to some surprising views on our history, demythologizing and doing a critical reading of it so as not to repeat the same mistakes which did so much harm to the poor and weak, especially women.  The Catholic church is now the only one that does now allow women to take office in the hierarchy.

I will list some of the philosophical and theological concepts that form part of our social and cultural attitudes and beliefs.  

• Through woman, sin entered the world (Saint Augustine, with his Manichean tendency)
• Woman is an unfinished man.( Aristotle)
• A defective and accidental thing.(Thomas Aquinas)
• A passive receptacle (Aristotle)
• The weaker sex( society believes!)
• Exclusion of women from the altar(Misogyny)
• Satanic temptation (Saint Augustine)
• The home is the place for women (Saint Paul)
• Unequal worth in the work field.
• Exclusion from church ministries and preaching (St. Dominic).
• Subordinated to men(St. Thomas Aquinas)
• Witches (The Inquisition)
• Hysterical (Sigmund Freud)
• Only useful for reproduction (Saint Augustine).
• Silenced and shut up in their homes and in monasteries (Saint Paul and St. Dominic)
• St. Dominic Guzman was the first to impose the strictest cloister on women who were leaders at the request of Pope Innocent III in return for the gift of Santa Sabina for the friars.

In the book: “Speaking of God as man and woman” by Elisabeth Moltmann – Wendel y Jungen Moltmann, we see the challenge and the way forward.  “Both men and women must learn anew to think about differences and not about exclusive oppositions.”

Therefore we are invited to recognize  the richness of difference and diversity, rights and dignity of men and women in the care for and defense of life given by God to all His/Her children without distinction of race, gender, class or religion.

I would like to finish talking about some norms of our ancestors the INCAS. They tried to apply these in their own lives, integrating them so as to build up the individual and a more just and human community.  Perhaps they can help us to reflect on the present time. Below find some of these basic norms:

Ayni; reciprocity, solidarity and mutual help.

Llankay; the gift of work.

Yachay; the gift of wisdom.

Munay; the gift of love without which it would

be impossible to live with others.