Sexists Unfit for Priesthood, Panel of Bishops Writes : Catholicism: Final draft of pastoral letter also urges an examination of how churchmen view women. But the ban on female priests is reiterated.

A panel of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops, in the final draft of a pastoral letter on women that was distributed Monday, said men unable to deal with women as equals should not be considered fit for the priesthood. But the committee’s declaration reiterated the church ban on female priests.

The letter, the product of nearly seven years of study, said it was “of utmost importance” that seminarians, priests and bishops examine whether they “communicate with women as co-workers and friends” rather than as “sexual threats or professional competitors.”

The admission of women in all ministries not requiring ordination also was endorsed by the committee of six bishops, which will formally present the draft for approval by the nation’s 350 bishops at their November meeting. The panel was aided by five women consultants and received advice from 75,000 women in 100 dioceses.

Excluding women as lectors or altar servers seems “to contradict our mandate that women be more visibly involved in the life of our church,” the committee said.

The panel urged that the Vatican soon study whether women deacons may be ordained and expressed hope that women will not leave Catholicism because of church’s “consistent practice” of an all-male priesthood.

Bishop Joseph L. Imesch of Joliet, Ill., chairman of the bishops’ committee, said in a telephone interview that he was “very content” with the draft. “It doesn’t say everything we wanted to say, but it says as much as we could say within the boundaries of present church law,” he said. Imesch did not elaborate.

The 99-page document praises “Christian feminists,” women who are faithful to church teachings yet promote the status of women as equal with men.

But the panel also cautioned against advocating, “as some radical feminist groups do, such aberrations as goddess worship, witchcraft, liberation from conformity to the sexual morality taught by the church, or acceptance of abortion as a legitimate choice for women under pressure.”

Like the first draft of the pastoral letter, issued two years ago, the document talks of “the sin of sexism” that leads men to ignore the talents of women.

“The corrosive power of the sin of sexism has seeped into the fabric of our civilization, invading economic and governmental systems as well as social and ecclesiastical structures,” the panel declared.

The final draft released by the U.S. Catholic Conference in Washington on Monday varied little from the initial draft, except for the church’s ban on artificial birth control.

In the first paper, the bishops called for more discussion on the question and “compassion toward those who in good conscience” practice contraception. The second paper, acknowledging that surveys show most Catholic women defy church teaching, speaks of “patient instruction” so that Catholics see the truth of the church teaching.

“Some felt in the first draft we were apologetic about the church position and read the call for dialogue as suggesting that our position could change,” said Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, N.Y., a committee member reached by phone.

The current draft calls upon Catholic dioceses to establish commissions on women and draw up plans to implement the recommendations.