The Archbishop of York,
John Sentamu , speaks next
to the Archbishop of
Canterbury Justin Welby at
the General Synod in
Church House – Source:
Reuters
The Church of England’s
governing body has voted
overwhelmingly in favour of
female bishops, ending a
20-year impasse that could
see women ordained as
senior clergy by the end of
2014.
A vote on a package of measures to endorse women
bishops was supported by 378 members of the
General Synod while eight voted against and 25
abstained after months of behind-the-scenes talks to
unite reformers and traditionalists.
A year ago, a blocking minority succeeded in
rejecting draft legislation on women bishops, leaving
the church in crisis. That vote, lost by just six votes,
was criticised by the UK parliament and one senior
church official called it a “train crash”.
After that, church leaders set up a committee to find
common ground. Its proposals won widespread
acceptance in the Synod, even among groups
previously opposed.
“The train is on the tracks, the train is moving
forwards, and we now have some stations to pass
along the way but we can begin to see the end of this
particular journey,” the Bishop of Rochester James
Langstaff told a news conference.
The legislation will be discussed again at a meeting
in February and a vote on final approval is likely in
2014.
The issue of female clergy has divided global
Anglicanism. Women serve as bishops in the United
States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand but
Anglican churches in many developing countries do
not even ordain them as priests.
Critics of female clergy say Jesus chose only men as
his apostles, while supporters say it is a matter of
equality.
The spiritual head of the Church of England,
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, supports
women bishops but has struggled to unite the
mother church for the world’s 80 million Anglicans on
the issue.
Woman in Canterbury
Last year’s draft legislation failed mainly due to
concerns that a code of practice to cater for parishes
that objected to women bishops did not go far
enough.
The new recommendations would create an
independent official who can intervene when
traditionalist parishes complain about women
bishops’ authority and guidelines for parishes whose
congregations reject women’s ministry.
Those in favour of the plans were warned not to
“open the champagne bottles” just yet as there were
still major issues to be resolved.
Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament: “I
strongly support women bishops and hope the
Church of England takes this key step to ensure its
place as a modern Church in touch with our society.”
Even many traditionalists acknowledged it was time
for change and to end the deadlock. Paul Benfield, of
the Synod’s Anglo-Catholic group, said it was “a
workable way forward”.
The Church approved the ordination of women
priests in 1992, but delayed making them bishops
because of opposition within its previously all-male
clergy.
Bishops play a key role in many Christian churches
because only they can ordain new clergy.
Amanda Fairclough, a priest from Liverpool, said she
had “no doubt one day a woman will be called by God
to be the Archbishop of Canterbury”.
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