Madam, - I was surprised when Anne Doherty suggested (May 2nd) that many readers who would welcome women priests do so because they see priesthood as a male role and they want women to be more like men. I have never met any of these people, nor have I detected anything in the Letters page of The Irish Times that would support this suggestion. I don't think assigning roles as exclusively male or female is useful.
On the question of Benedict XVI, I think the Pope is the only person who can reveal, through his actions, not words, his own philosophy on gender.
I suggest that gender is something that we need to talk about in the Church. Many people have strong views. Avoiding discussion is not the way forward. Would it be useful to do some sort of an audit among the religious to see what their experience is? Also, on the subject of the role of ordained ministry, would it be useful to listen to the voice of the young people making their Confirmation? It might be refreshing to hear from them. - Yours, etc,
CAITRIONA McCLEAN, Weston Avenue, Lucan, Co Dublin.