ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the various bodies of Christ, such as the Church, the Holy See and the pope, haVe> been used to defme woman as wom(b )an, woman defmed in relation to her body. Specifically, it will explore how the political and religious bodies of Christ engaged with the international community in an attempt to maintain control of wom(b)an's body at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), sponsored by the United Nations and held in Cairo, 1994, particularly with respect to wom(b)an's roles, reproductive options and sexuality. I shall begin by reviewing briefly how the pope has been invested with a composite of authority, jurisdiction and sovereignty to direct the Universal/Catholic Church, the Holy See and the Vatican City State. I shall then examine how this power has been used to defme, assign and confine woman as wom(b)an, and to develop doctrine presented as 'divine', such as that concerning marriage and the family, birth control, abortion and homosexuality. Each of these doctrines works on its own and in conjunction with the others to discipline, punish, regulate and control the bodies of 'the faithful', with particular consequences for 'woman'. Finally, I shall explore how the bodies of Christ operated within the international arena both prior to and during the conference in an attempt to preserve a specific, Catholic articulation of wom(b)an.
