Maria Goretti: an Icon of Virginity, an Icon of Silence, An Opportunity for Change
Date
2006
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Haverford College. Department of Religion
Type
Thesis
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
eng
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Haverford users only
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
For the past five decades the Roman Catholic Church has portrayed St. Maria Goretti as an icon of virginity, a modern virgin martyr. The Church has used her story to extol the values of chastity and purity and has presented her to the world as a model Catholic girl. Maria Goretti died from a brutal sexual assault. Yet this crime is almost never named as such in the representations of the Saint and her life. The lack of attention paid to this brutal act of sexual violence by the Church and by her hagiographers makes Maria not only an icon of virginity, but also an icon of the Church's silence in the face of rape and sexual assault. However, two contemporary female writers have used different representations of Maria's story to address sexual violence and break the silence the Church has developed on rape and sexual assault showing that there are alternatives to traditional representation and suggesting a potential for change within the Church.