Some women were burned at stake for their spiritual message. Others were “just” persecuted, such as the women of Tai Ji Men.
by Massimo Introvigne*
*Conclusions of the international webinar “Tai Ji Men Women: Fighting for Justice and Conscience,” co-organized by CESNUR and Human Rights Without Frontiers on November 25, 2024, United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
In the day encouraging us to fight against violence targeting women, one is reminded of many women who were persecuted because of their spirituality. Societies were never really ready to accept women as spiritual leaders.
One emblematic story is that of Beatriz Kimpa Vita, the founder of the African religious movement known as Antonianism. Born in 1684 in present-day Angola, and baptized as a Roman Catholic, she was also initiated into secret societies promoting different forms of African indigenous spirituality. At her time, Angola was part of the Kingdom of Congo, an important state weakened by civil war and Portuguese colonialism. Kimpa venerated King Anthony I of Congo, who died some twenty years before she was born, as the Messiah and claimed to be possessed by his spirit.
Reportedly, she heard voices from God telling her she should fight to reunify the divided kingdom and expel the Portuguese. The success of her movement raised the concern of King Pedro IV, who had her arrested, tried as a heretic and a sorceress, and burned at stake in 1706 together with her partner João Barro, who was the father of her son. Although the army of 20,000 she had raised was defeated after her death, ultimately her action resulted in the unification of Kongo.
There are obvious similarities between Kimpa Vita and Joan of Arc. Joan also claimed she had received divine voices commanding her to raise an army, reunify the Kingdom of France, and expel the British. She was also captured, tried as heretic and sorceress, and burned at stake in 1431. As in the case of Kimpa Vita, her plan to reunify her country succeeded after her death. Unlike Kimpa, however, she was eventually not only rehabilitated but canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
While many know Joan of Arc, named not after a French city (as many believe) but after the name of her father, lesser known today is Joan of Arcadia. Her name comes from Arcadia, California, and she is a fictional character in a TV series that aired in the United States between 2003 and 2005. Critical acclaim was higher than commercial success, and the series was cancelled after two seasons, ignoring the protests of committed fans. Like Joan of Arc, Italian American teenager Joan Girardi also hears from God, much to her surprise. God does not convey to her sensational revelations but gives her clues to help her father, who happens to be Arcadia’s police chief, to solve local crimes. God also lectures her on peace, love, and common sense. Because of her attempts to spread these ideas, she encounters also opposition, perhaps coming from the Devil himself, as implied in the last episode of the series, whose questions should have been answered in the cancelled third season.
Miracles are downplayed. In one of the first episodes, Joan asks God to perform a miracle to make her believe. God simply shows her a tree. When she says it is not a miracle, God answers “Try to create one yourself.”
There was a profound moral in the story of Joan of Arcadia, one that endeared the show to fans and is also relevant for a day where we honor the women of Tai Ji Men. Yes, both Kimpa Vita and Joan of Arc show that women fighting for justice and spirituality may risk their lives and become victims of extreme violence. However, most women with a strong spiritual commitment are more like Joan of Arcadia. They are not burned at stake, but they may encounter serious and painful opposition.
This is what happened and continues to happen to the women of Tai Ji Men. They deserve a special day to honor them for their resilience and key role in keeping Tai Ji Men healthy, growing, and expanding during years of persecution and harassment. Some were and are heroic characters, none more than the late Madam Yu Mei-Jung, Tai Ji Men’s Shimu as the wife of Shifu (Grand Master), Dr. Hong Tao-Tze. When Shifu was arrested in 1996, Shimu was also taken to detention center. She shared both his suffering and the victory when the Supreme Court in 2007 concluded that they were not guilty of any crime. She continued to be a key reference for all Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) until her death.
A paradigmatic case is also that of Mrs. Huang, a woman peacefully protesting the injustice of the Tai Ji Men case who was detained and mistreated on September 19, 2020. There are other similar cases, too. We the international scholars who have taken an interest in the Tai Ji Men case have continuously met great women dizi fighting relentlessly for justice and spreading the message of peace, love, and conscience throughout the world.
You are our sisters, and this day is for you.
