Bishops Urge Top Roles for Women but Not Priesthood : Religion: Prelates suggest the study of scripture and pursuit of presidencies at Catholic universities. Group says some in U.S. church are still guilty of sexism.

The nation’s Catholic bishops adopted a resolution Wednesday encouraging women to assume leadership positions up to--but not including--the priesthood.

The statement recognized Pope John Paul II’s recent affirmation that women cannot be ordained as priests, advocating instead that they seek other roles in the church, such as pursuing studies in scripture, becoming presidents of Catholic universities and serving in non-ordained ministerial positions.

For the first time, the bishops told their 59 million members that some elements of the U.S. church have been guilty of sexism. “We have listened to the sounds of injustice and now come to strengthen the bonds of peace,” said Bishop Eugene J. Gerber of Wichita, Kan.

“We commit ourselves to enhancing the participation of women in every possible aspect of church life,” the bishops said in their statement, approved on a vote of 228 to 10.

The bishops also adopted a resolution condemning violent behavior in all its forms, urging Catholics to oppose such actions as assisting with euthanasia and yelling at referees at athletic events.

In a specific recommendation addressing an area of concern to U.S. women, the bishops said that, although the universal catechism does not use gender-neutral language, in this country the church should avoid using such terms as “man” or “men” when referring to all of humanity.

According to the bishops’ statement on women, entitled “Strengthening the Bonds of Peace,” a National Pastoral Life Center study found that women now hold 85% of parish ministry positions open to non-clergy. However, they have been slow to move into high-ranking jobs, such as diocesan chancellors, canon lawyers or marriage tribunal members and in some dioceses only priests hold those positions.

The statement encourages dioceses to allow women to seek such jobs.

Annette Kane, executive director of the National Council of Catholic Women, a federation of 7,000 Catholic women’s organizations, said she hopes that the statement will change some hearts and minds in dioceses where women are excluded from leadership roles.

But others were disappointed that the resolution did not contain stronger language. Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, an organization that supports the right to dissent from papal decrees, said that the plan falls short of real progress for women.

“There’s a lot of good sentiment and a lot of good language,” Kissling said. “But until I see a written plan with some concrete goals as to numbers of women they’re going to hire, I’m afraid they’re not showing the political will to do the job.”

Studies by Kissling’s group show that 19% of the top church positions in the country were held by women in 1993, up from 16% in 1988.

The bishops’ resolution acknowledges that sexism, defined as “unjust discrimination based on sex,” is still present in some elements of the church. The bishops soundly rejected sexism, calling it sinful and, according to the report, “contradicting the will of Christ.”

But the report also took aim at radical feminist groups in a much-debated phrase that said: “We . . . reject extreme positions on women’s issues which impede dialogue and divide the church.”

The bishops called for a “moral revolution” in confronting violence in America.

“Violence--in our homes, our schools and streets, our nation and world--is destroying the lives, dignity and hopes of millions of our sisters and brothers,” the report said.