1.   It was a more conservative document than its predecessors and no longer suggested that the Church discuss ordaining women as deacons.

2.   He has put a stamp of papal infallibility on the issue of ordaining women, making it more difficult for a successor to come to terms with the issue.

3.   Iker and the other traditionalist bishops say they believe that ordaining women conflicts with biblical and church tradition.

4.   In recent years, there have been minor splits over ordaining women.

5.   The leading organization of Roman Catholic theologians in the United States overwhelming urged Friday that the church continue discussing the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood.

6.   The pope and the Vatican have carefully refrained from ruling out ordination of women to the diaconate, even in major pronouncements against ordaining women to the priesthood.

7.   The Scottish Episcopal Church recently became the latest member church in the worldwide Anglican Communion to approve ordaining women.

8.   Traditionalists hold that by ordaining women, church leaders are overstepping their authority, in that Jesus called only men as apostles.

9.   When students in a class on feminist theology wanted to talk about the statement, she reviewed past Vatican arguments against ordaining women.

10.   De Roo had been of the more outspoken liberal Catholic leaders in Canada, expressing interest, for example, in the possibility of ordaining women as priests.