It is unfortunate that the Vatican conference on women (The Church in the World, 14 February) should prejudge its conclusions by prescribing “difference” as a guiding principle and by linking this to a “special” role in the home. This presumes a form of gender apartheid that does not form part of the teaching of Jesus. Only when the ordination of women is on the table will such conferences truly address the rightful place of women in this Church.(Dr) Jacqueline Field-Bibb, London N21The Pontifical Council for Culture’s plenary assembly’s claim that “according to statistics [ordination] is not something that women want” may be true for many women, but it is also true that most men do not want ordination, either! In the case of men, however, t