On the Curses of Women

Sources

Sirach says “From a woman sin had its beginning, and because of her we all die.” (Sir. 25:24) St. Paul says of this situation that “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” (1 Tim. 2:12-14)

It is for this reason, as St. Bonaventure teaches [5], that the punishment of Eve and women are greater than the punishment on Adam and men. Bl. Denys [6] explains these greater punishments by appealing to the greater number of vices involved in the sin of Eve. For, Catholic theologians traditionally teach unanimously that the sin of Eve was greater than the sin of Adam. Bl. Denys proves this from three facts [10]. First, her pride was greater in that she believed the serpent that she could become a god. Second, her pride was so great that she was deceived. Third, she induced the man to sin. On the other hand, Adam sinned out of a disordered goodwill toward his wife that came from weakness.