The Maltese Church has promptly accepted the Holy See's worldwide appeal to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter on the dignity of women Mulieris Dignitatem issued on August 15, 1988.

The letter was the theological and philosophical foundation of Karol Wojtyla's feminism, which he had briefly sketched in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer) and was to develop further in the book Theology of the Body.

In his message for the 1995 World Day of Peace, Pope John Paul II had said: "I wish to direct my message... especially to women, and to invite them to become teachers of peace with their whole being and in all their activities. May they be witnesses, messengers and teachers of peace in relations between individuals and between generations, in the family in the cultural, social and political life of nations, and particularly in situations of conflict and war. May they continue to follow the path that leads to peace, a path which many courageous and far-righted women have walked before them."

Reflecting on the difficult situations of exploitation, discrimination, violence and war that women have to deal with, John Paul II said: "Nevertheless, many women, especially as a result of social and cultural conditioning, do not become fully aware of their dignity. Others are victims of a materialistic and hedonistic outlook which views them as mere object of pleasure, and does not hesitate to organise the exploitation of women, even of young girls, into a despicable trade.

"Special concern needs to be shown for these women, particularly by other women who, thanks to their own upbringing and sensitivity, are able to help them discover their own inner worth and resources. Women need to help women, and to find support in the valuable and effective contributions which associations, movements and groups, many of them of a religious character, have proved capable of making in this regard."