Global Health and the Feminine Genius: Following the Example of Anna Dengel
Giang Ha, Duke University, Durham, NC
Increasing attention has been placed on debates surrounding gender roles within and outside of the Catholic Church and justice within global health. With increasing attention on female ordination as a topic being discussed in the Catholic Church and with the need for justice within global health, perspectives amongst these issues lack the viewpoints of females providing medical care as social reform within global health. Anna Dengel is a historical example of the feminine genius that use the attributes of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity to care for mothers in India while pushing for social reform within the Catholic Church. These particular gifts within womanhood as summarized by Doyle (2015) from Pope St. John Paul II (Mulieris Dignitatem) are valuable in cultivating relationships with those clinicians provide care for in global health. Through analysis of this witness, I argue that these gifts have helped Catholic health care practitioners attend to the needs of those they care for that is often overlooked in a fast-paced clinical environment and to see the value and dignity of people served through global health work. To display this argument, I draw from my own experience as a Catholic clinician and from the stories of those I have walked with in Vietnam.
Anna Dengel demonstrated the courage to push for justice despite opposition. Living in the early twentieth century, Dengel was inspired by Agnes McLaren, a Catholic religious sister whose life work was to care for women in India facing high risk of death during childbirth. In response to this need and the lack of female medical practitioners, McLaren lobbied the Vatican to allow religious sisters to become doctors and midwives. At the time, religious were not allowed to perform surgical or obstetric work, because the Vatican thought the former induced fear of unintentional homicide, while the latter might violate religious sisters’ vow of chastity. Anna Dengel continued McLaren’s mission by pushing for medical care for women regardless of race or religion. Dengel, however, emphasized healing those in front of us as a work of justice and social reform as much as of charity. The Vatican would not grant her permission to live out the vocations of doctor and sister simultaneously, so Dengel decided not to make public vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty. Instead, she made private promises to live out these vows while working as a doctor. As she waited for the Vatican to change its view, she continued work on the ground providing medical care for those who needed. Dengel continuously reminded the sisters who worked with her to care for patients with selfless love, sympathy, and gentleness. Dengel showed autonomy and agency not by rejecting the Church’s authority but by practicing within it while pushing for reform (Jelnikar 2023).
Recognizing the need of Indian mothers for female physicians, Dengel displayed spiritual maternity through providing (and encouraging others to provide) such care. Her sensitivity and receptivity gave rise to generosity toward women and their unborn children. Her responses with love and being able to see the longing of the human heart could be translated to how a female physician responds within global health. In a time of defining gender roles within and outside the Catholic Church and movement of healthcare as social reform in global health, Dengel provides an example of feminine genius: how to use the gifts of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity to see and understand the deep needs and longing of each human heart, to respond with love in our medical care, and push for social reform while realizing the value of each human person despite the broken imperfect system of healthcare and poverty.
Doyle, Karen. “The Feminine Genius.” CathFamily. May 10, 2015. https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/mission/life-marriage-and-family/understanding-the-human-person/the-feminine-genius
Jelnikar, Ana. “‘A Holy Experiment’: Medical Mission Sisters or how Women Religious within the Catholic Church became Doctors.” Journal of Religious History 47, no.3 (September 2023): 405-438.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12938.
John Paul II. Mulieris Dignitatem. Encyclical Letter. Vatican website. August 15, 1988. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html
Anna Dengel demonstrated the courage to push for justice despite opposition. Living in the early twentieth century, Dengel was inspired by Agnes McLaren, a Catholic religious sister whose life work was to care for women in India facing high risk of death during childbirth. In response to this need and the lack of female medical practitioners, McLaren lobbied the Vatican to allow religious sisters to become doctors and midwives. At the time, religious were not allowed to perform surgical or obstetric work, because the Vatican thought the former induced fear of unintentional homicide, while the latter might violate religious sisters’ vow of chastity. Anna Dengel continued McLaren’s mission by pushing for medical care for women regardless of race or religion. Dengel, however, emphasized healing those in front of us as a work of justice and social reform as much as of charity. The Vatican would not grant her permission to live out the vocations of doctor and sister simultaneously, so Dengel decided not to make public vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty. Instead, she made private promises to live out these vows while working as a doctor. As she waited for the Vatican to change its view, she continued work on the ground providing medical care for those who needed. Dengel continuously reminded the sisters who worked with her to care for patients with selfless love, sympathy, and gentleness. Dengel showed autonomy and agency not by rejecting the Church’s authority but by practicing within it while pushing for reform (Jelnikar 2023).
Recognizing the need of Indian mothers for female physicians, Dengel displayed spiritual maternity through providing (and encouraging others to provide) such care. Her sensitivity and receptivity gave rise to generosity toward women and their unborn children. Her responses with love and being able to see the longing of the human heart could be translated to how a female physician responds within global health. In a time of defining gender roles within and outside the Catholic Church and movement of healthcare as social reform in global health, Dengel provides an example of feminine genius: how to use the gifts of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity to see and understand the deep needs and longing of each human heart, to respond with love in our medical care, and push for social reform while realizing the value of each human person despite the broken imperfect system of healthcare and poverty.
Doyle, Karen. “The Feminine Genius.” CathFamily. May 10, 2015. https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/mission/life-marriage-and-family/understanding-the-human-person/the-feminine-genius
Jelnikar, Ana. “‘A Holy Experiment’: Medical Mission Sisters or how Women Religious within the Catholic Church became Doctors.” Journal of Religious History 47, no.3 (September 2023): 405-438.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9809.12938.
John Paul II. Mulieris Dignitatem. Encyclical Letter. Vatican website. August 15, 1988. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1988/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_19880815_mulieris-dignitatem.html