The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian denomination, with at least a billion members. But much of its ritual, history and doctrine remain a mystery to non-Catholics. Why, for example, do Catholics need a pope? Why can't women be ordained as priests? And why is contraception wrong, particularly in the age of AIDS? In an effort to answer those and other questions at the heart of this ancient tradition, we talked with two authorities on Catholicism. [snip] Why can't women be priests, especially since the Gospel stories show women being leaders and teachers in the early church? This is...