Wokeness and the Fragmentation of Men and Women: A Catholic Perspective

In today’s cultural landscape, few terms have sparked as much debate as “wokeness.” Born out of a genuine desire to address social injustices like racism, sexism, and inequality, it originally called for greater awareness and sensitivity toward marginalized groups. On the surface, these are goals that resonate with the Catholic Church’s commitment to human dignity and justice. However, as wokeness has evolved, it has also come under criticism for fostering division, stifling dialogue, and distorting the identity of men and women in ways that are profoundly concerning from both a theological and philosophical standpoint.

To explore the claim that “wokeness destroys men and women,” we must first acknowledge its origins in a desire for justice—a virtue that the Catholic Church has always championed. Christ himself reached out to the marginalized: the poor, the sick, the oppressed. The Church, too, in its long tradition of social teaching, has urged society to address injustices and to uphold the dignity of every person. However, there is a significant difference between a movement grounded in objective moral truths and one that has increasingly veered toward relativism and a divisive view of human identity.

The Fragmentation of Identity

One of the primary concerns with modern wokeness is the way it fractures human identity. It encourages people to define themselves primarily through external categories such as race, gender, or sexual orientation. While it is essential to recognize and respect individual experiences, this hyper-focus on identity risks reducing a person to the sum of their labels.

In contrast, Catholic teaching offers a holistic view of the person. Each human being is first and foremost a child of God, made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). This transcendent identity unites all people, regardless of their background. It acknowledges that while we each have unique experiences, we share a deeper, universal dignity. When wokeness elevates identity categories above this fundamental unity, it fosters division rather than solidarity. It creates an environment where men and women are pitted against one another, competing for social recognition or moral superiority based on their victim status.

This idea finds echoes in the writings of Pope John Paul II, who in Redemptor Hominis emphasized the unity of all people under the common banner of being created in the image of God. This recognition of our shared humanity should form the basis of any fight for justice, as opposed to fragmenting people into isolated categories (John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, 1979).

Victimhood Culture vs. Human Resilience

Another damaging aspect of wokeness is its tendency to promote what some have called “victimhood culture.” While it is undeniably important to address and rectify historical wrongs, a worldview that prioritizes victimhood above resilience can trap individuals in a state of perpetual grievance. Instead of empowering people to overcome challenges and transcend adversity, wokeness often encourages them to dwell in a sense of grievance, where their identity is inseparable from their status as a victim.

From a Christian perspective, this is problematic because the Gospel calls us to hope and redemption. Christ came not only to comfort the afflicted but also to lift them up, to restore them to fullness of life. The saints are shining examples of resilience in the face of suffering—think of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who endured the horrors of Auschwitz but continued to love and serve those around him, or St. Teresa of Calcutta, who worked among the poorest of the poor. Their lives show us that while injustice and suffering are real, they do not define us. Through grace, we can rise above them.

The idea of resilience is a recurring theme in Catholic thought, especially in the Church’s understanding of redemptive suffering. In Salvifici Doloris, John Paul II teaches that human suffering, united with Christ, can have profound meaning and can even become a source of personal and communal redemption (John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris, 1984). This stands in contrast to a culture that emphasizes remaining in a state of grievance.

The Denial of Objective Truth

At the heart of many criticisms of wokeness is its alignment with postmodern relativism—the idea that truth is subjective and shaped by power structures. In this view, what is “true” is whatever an individual or group experiences as their truth. While personal experiences are indeed powerful and valid, they cannot be the sole arbiter of reality. A society built on subjective truths will ultimately crumble, as there is no shared foundation upon which to build justice, meaning, or even dialogue.

In contrast, the Catholic tradition holds that there is an objective moral order—rooted in the very nature of God—that governs human life. Truth is not a construct; it is something we discover, and it has the power to set us free (John 8:32). When wokeness denies objective truth in favor of personal experience, it leads to confusion and moral chaos, weakening the foundations upon which men and women can build flourishing lives. Without a sense of stable, knowable truth, everything becomes negotiable—even the nature of man and woman, of family, and of justice itself.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts the importance of truth: “Man tends by nature toward the truth. He is obliged to honor and bear witness to it” (CCC 2467). When a culture departs from the pursuit of objective truth, it drifts into relativism, which undermines both personal and social development.

Cancel Culture and the Erosion of Mercy

Perhaps one of the most destructive aspects of wokeness is the rise of cancel culture—the practice of publicly shaming, ostracizing, or punishing individuals for perceived wrongs, often without any opportunity for redemption or forgiveness. This cultural phenomenon is deeply antithetical to the Gospel, which calls us to mercy and forgiveness. Jesus himself forgave those who crucified Him, asking the Father to “forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The Christian vision of justice is always tempered with mercy; it recognizes the inherent dignity of even the worst sinner and offers the possibility of repentance and transformation.

Cancel culture, on the other hand, is unforgiving. It defines people solely by their mistakes, stripping them of the possibility of growth or redemption. This erodes the very fabric of a healthy society, which must allow for human error and the possibility of reconciliation. Men and women need space to grow, to learn from their mistakes, and to become better versions of themselves. A culture that does not allow for this is both stifling and dehumanizing.

Pope Francis has spoken about this in terms of our culture’s need for forgiveness and healing. In Fratelli Tutti, he argues that “social forgiveness” is essential for building a world of fraternity. Without forgiveness, no society can thrive, as it will remain locked in cycles of accusation and division (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 2020).

A Call to Authentic Justice and Charity

In conclusion, while wokeness arises from a legitimate desire to address injustices, it can become destructive when it undermines our shared human dignity, promotes division, encourages victimhood over resilience, denies objective truth, and fosters a culture without forgiveness. The Catholic vision of justice offers a healthier path: one rooted in the dignity of the human person, in objective moral truth, and in the possibility of reconciliation and redemption.

Men and women thrive when they are seen not merely as members of competing identity groups but as beloved children of God, capable of great virtue and resilience. The path forward is not through the destruction of one another in the name of justice but through a renewed commitment to the Gospel call to love one another, work for justice, and extend mercy to all.

Sources

John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis (1979).

John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris (1984).

Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2467.

Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti (2020).