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Before I get into talking about actual self-defense, I want to address a post I read back in September on a popular feminist blog.

Maria Goretti is a Catholic martyr, who was killed by her would-be rapist. She’s a saint because, apparently, it’s better to die than to be unchaste.

Her murderer and attempted rapist was forgiven and attended Mass with Maria’s mother, where he took communion (something not offered to many pro-choice politicians). He claimed to pray to Maria and referred to her as “my little saint.”

When Maria was canonized, here’s what Pope Pius XII told the crowd:

“We order and declare, that the blessed Maria Goretti can be venerated as a Saint and We introduce her into the Canon of Saints.” Some 500,000 people, among them a majority of youth, had come from around the World. Pope Pius XII asked them:

“Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of grace of God?”

A resounding “yes” was the answer.

That’s right, ladies: Better dead than not a virgin. Better to die than to survive rape.

Note that it was never attempting to fight off her rapist that made Maria great; it was her supposedly choosing death over sexual “impurity” — because apparently, being raped means that you’re impure. Did I mention she was 12?

For someone who does not value the concept of chastity or may not understand the saints and martyrdom, I think the writer’s thoughts are natural conclusions, though extremely misguided.

She’s a saint because, apparently, it’s better to die than to be unchaste.

First of all, this assertion is a very narrow one. A rape victim who does not act of their own free will is not unchaste.

The church does not condone rape or violence of any kind unless it is to protect oneself or the life of another. (Read CCC 2263-2267.)

The writer does not take into account the entire context of Maria’s attack. Alessandro Serenelli had been making advances toward Maria for years. On that fateful night the little saint yelled:

“No! It is a sin! God does not want it!”

After she said that, Alessandro stabbed her 14 times. Maria was not saying “please don’t rape me because I will be sinning.” She was resisting his advances for consensual sex, something he had asked for many times before.

St. Maria Goretti did not consciously choose death, she chose to say no to impurity (sex before marriage) and henceforth was murdered in the process. Alessandro’s attack was premeditated; he had known her for years and she had resisted his advances during that time.

Is the Church saying, “Better to die than to survive rape?” No. What the church is saying is that it is better to die a martyr’s death than forsake your beliefs. It’s a nuanced argument, so stay with me.

The author has a problem with the Church recognizing St. Maria because she wanted to keep her purity by saying no to Alessandro. But would it have been better for Maria to just have sex with Alessandro? One of the most important rules in surviving an attack like rape is to PUT UP A FIGHT & MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS POSSIBLE. (Please remember that.)

In all honesty, I think I would rather fight rape and be killed in the process than lay down and let a man assault me. (I was faced with this choice once as a teenager, and will tell you the story in the next post.)

When I was taught about St. Maria Goretti as a child, the emphasis was not put on her attack, but rather her actions afterward. What kind of individual, let alone a 12-year-old girl, forgives her murderer on their deathbed? A holy individual worthy of praise.

But that’s not why she is also hailed as a martyr. CCC #2473 says:

Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity.

Pope Pius’ question to the crowd, “Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of grace of God?” does not mean, “Hey girls, be prepared to die for your virginity!” His statement was meant to ask the crowd to ask themselves if they would be willing to die for the Gospel, a question we should all be prepared to answer.

Pope Pius XII also said:

“She was so human and so aware of others that she could see in the terrible incident more Alessandro’s danger than her own. Her cry, ‘You’ll go to Hell!’ was a warning, not a threat, as we must see in her [deathbed] pardon of her assassin, which was free and unforced despite the atrocious suffering she was still enduring because of him. She was, even not yet 12, a valiant woman.”

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.

~Rebecca