St. Hildegard of Bingen. / Credit: Lettera43.it, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Sep 17, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
EverygiftfromtheHolySpiritismeantfortheedificationofthecommunityofbelievers,PopeBenedictXVIsaidinageneralaudiencebackin2010whenhefocusedhiscatechesisonthelifeofSt.HildegardofBingen,whosefeastiscelebratedSept.17intheuniversalChurch.
BenedictpraisedherasamodelformodernwomenreligiousandnotedthatshebenefitedthefaithfulbyherwillingnesstosubmithersupernaturalvisionstotheinterpretationoftheChurch.
ReferringfirsttoSt.JohnPaulII’sapostolicletterMulierisDignitatemontheroleofwomeninthelifeoftheChurch,BenedictXVInotedthattheletter“givesthanksforallthemanifestationsofthefeminine‘genius’whichhaveappearedinthecourseofhistory.”HethenhighlightedthefigureofSt.HildegardofBingenasoneofthesaintlywomenwhostoodoutnearlyamillenniumago.
BornintoanobleGermanfamilyintheyear1098,HildegardbeganherstudiesinhumanandChristianformationataBenedictineconventinthetownofBingen,tookhervowstocloisteredlifeand
