Letter: Women priests face the test of time

Sir: As practising members of the Roman Catholic Church, we are sad to see that, apparently, both the Anglican and Roman Catholic establishments are prepared to consider conversion to Roman Catholicism purely as an acceptable bolthole from the threat of the ordination of women in the Anglican communion.

We feel that, particularly since Vatican II, our church has many riches to offer which seem never to have been considered by the potential converts - or presumably they would have converted much earlier. Willing converts from conviction are a matter for rejoicing for any church; but the same can hardly be said of converts who join only because their own church no longer fully pleases them.

We also hope - with many within the Roman Catholic Church, both laity and clergy - that the sacrament of ordination will in due course be opened to women on equal terms with the other six sacraments of our church. In the meantime, we rejoice at last Saturday's ordinations in the Anglican communion.

Yours faithfully,

PAULINE SHARPSTON

Vignes de Choudans

France

ELEANOR SHARPSTON

King's College

Cambridge

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