Madam, - I agree wholeheartedly with much of what Caitriona McClean says in her letter of November 12th, but I must take issue with her failure to distinguish between the clerical, institutional part of the Church and the whole Church, the Body of Christ, half of which is female.
As members of that half, I feel we have a solemn responsibility not to support or collude with those structures which we find offensive. I would also ask why such important questions which Catriona raises are discussed intelligently in very few places, apart from The Irish Times letters page?
It is my belief that the rapid drying up of vocations to the hierarchical, celibate male priesthood in Ireland is a clear sign that present structures are collapsing. Do priests really benefit by a system whereby women old enough to be their mothers or grannies address them as "Father"? It is hardly an invitation to adult relationships! My vision is of a variety of ministries, including that of the Lord's Supper, the appointment to which will depend on only two criteria: discipleship of Jesus and dedication of one's personal gifts to His service.
Finally, we need to decommission the statues which portray Mary, model of ministry, as passive and pallid and find new artworks which will show the woman who defied the patriarchal dictates of her time to become an unwed mother in joyful obedience to God, following the footsteps of forbears like Ruth, Judith and Esther. - Yours, etc.,
Mrs ELIZABETH RODDY, Corcullen, Galway.