I was pleased to read that the address made by Pope Francis to the Vatican Conference (The Tablet, 14 February) was imbued with a great sense of urgency and immediacy to the ongoing discussion on "what shall we do with the women". This is not being facetious but does appear to be problematic to the last bastion of a male dominated society in the western world. The Pope emphasises the need to combine roles with the myriad demands made by family life. What is omitted here is the single woman who has less demands in that respect. Women in all walks of life are fully cognisant of multi-tasking and being able to respond fully to what they are presented with.
I am not being mean-spirited here because I realise that the overture has been performed by a courageous and far-thinking Pope. I just hope and pray that the performance will not be too long in the composing. Having watched the brilliant film about Martin Luther King, Selma, I am wondering if a metaphorical peaceful march from Selma to the Vatican is in order and Sister Eugenia Bonetti's desire could become true. In her inspiring words: "dreams of a synod on women by women for women". Dreams can be realised if we all respond fully with good hearts and minds.
Judith Daniels, Cobholm, Norfolk
Michael Knowles criticises the Bishop of Shrewsbury and and the Carmelite Provincial for their failure to attend the recent consecration in York Minster (The Tablet, Letters, 7 February ). He then states that "it is only a matter of time before there will be women priests and women bishops in the Catholic Church".
Has Mr Knowles really failed to observe that the innovation he proposes has been rejected explicitly by four out of the last five Popes? Perhaps he regards the last three of those as petty-minded obscurantists but would he apply that criticism to Blessed Paul VI, the Pope who presided over the later stages of Vatican II? Mr Knowles may regard the Church's teaching as expressed through the pronouncements of successive pontiffs as misguided but he can hardly claim that it is neither clear nor definitive.
Colin Armstrong, Belfast
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