Cardinal Kasper, quoting Pope John Paul II, is in turn quoted by Ruth Gledhill (“When the stained-glass ceiling cracked”, 19 July) on the Church of England agreement to ordain women as bishops. He said: “I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgement is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.” The given reason for this statement is that with no scriptural justification for such a move there appears to be no indication in tradition that such has ever happened or been envisaged.In the apostolic Church however, we have St Paul greeting Nymphna “and the church that meets in her house” (Philippians 4:15), Phoebe, deaconess (Romans 16:1), not to mention Chloe “and