"...the Church will overcome this inordinate attachment to patriarchal images in due time."

Let it be so.  I don't think it will be in my life time but I think it is important that it keep being hammered at.  There is no real reason women can't be priests.  The "marriage" of Christ with his Church and the need for a male "image" of Christ is just building hogwash on symbolism.  And Jesus chose to first show Himself after Resurrection to a woman.  If someone wanted to take an incident from the Bible and build a priesthood out of it, that is the sign that women should be priests as surely as men.  

Thanks for good, interesting, well reasoned comments and for keeping this issue in discussion.  This final word has not been spoken on this issue as long as someone keeps bringing it up.