U.S. Roman Catholic bishops assembled to discuss the rights of women Thursday. But a new survey finds most Catholics favor a right the bishops aren't ready to grant - women's entry into the priesthood.
The Gallup survey found 67 percent of Catholics feel that ordaining women as priests would be a "good thing."In contrast, a proposed pastoral letter up for consideration Thursday at the three-day gathering comes out against women priests. It affirms the "unbroken tradition" of a men-only priesthood as reflecting "the mind of Christ."
The proposed 81-page pastoral letter has been in the works for about nine years, and this is the third draft.
The document denounces sexism as a "moral and social evil" and calls for full equality for women in society. But some Catholic women's groups have assailed the document as inconsistent for not opening the priesthood to women.
The 250 or so bishops assembled for the gathering at the University of Notre Dame are not expected to vote on the document until their fall meeting.