London - After decades of often agonizing debate, the Church of England (CoE) has voted in favour of the ordination of women bishops - a move that is seen as changing the face of the lead church in the worldwide Anglican movement forever.
There were silent prayers, tears of anger and scenes of jubilation when a 2:1 majority of the General Synod - the church parliament - voted for the ordination of women bishops in England and Wales after hours of emotional debate late Monday.
The historic decision is seen by some as adding to the threat of a split in the Anglican Communion, while others hailed it as a step that brings the church into line with modern times.
The vote, at the General Synod meeting in York, northern Britain, came just days before the 10-yearly Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops from around the world in Canterbury, which is overshadowed by a damaging row over the ordination of gay clergy, and - even more explosive - the blessing of same-sex marriages.
In York, the ordination of women bishops won clear backing from all 'three houses' of the Synod, following a highly-charged debate and a threat from more than 1,000 clergy to leave the CoE if safeguards were not agreed to grant exemptions to traditionalists unwilling to serve under women bishops.
In the House of Bishops, there were 28 votes in favour of the consecration of women, against 12 opposing, and one abstention.
In the House of Clergy, support was 124 against 44, with four abstentions, and in the House of Laity, the result was 111 in favour, with 68 against and two abstentions.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told the Synod that 'Jesus would feel Anglican pain' on both sides of the argument.
But he also made clear that he would be 'deeply unhappy at a scheme' that would result in 'structurally humiliating women who might be nominated to the episcopate.'
After the vote, he said the decision taken by a majority of clergy was likely to change the 'face of the Church of England forever.'
Members threw out proposals demanding that traditionalists who found it impossible to serve under a woman bishop would be able to appoint 'male alternatives' in the shape of 'super bishops' who would cater for 'objectors.'
As it happened, however, the Synod agreed to draft an as-yet unspecified statutory national code of practice which would take into account traditionalist concerns and which is to be put before the Synod's next meeting in February 2009.
Observers pointed out that about a third of the 1,300 churchmen who had threatened to leave the CoE were 'retired rather than serving clergy,' implying that the problem would 'solve itself' over time.
They also stressed that 4,000 Anglicans, more than half of them clergy, had written their own letter arguing that any concessions to the traditionalists would directly undermine the status of women bishops in a 'discriminatory' way.
Supporters of women bishops hailed the York decision as historic, while opponents said they would be 'driven out' of the church because there were 'no proper provisions for us to live in dignity.'
'It is very good for the Church and very good for women and also good for the whole nation,' Christina Rees, chairwoman of Women and the Church (Watch) said about the vote.
Synod member Robert Key said the national church in England and Wales had finally fallen in line 'with most of the country and what people feel.'
'Male fantastic, female fantastic. What difference does it make?' said a contributor to a BBC website on the issue.
But traditionalist spokesman Gerry O'Brien told the meeting: 'We can legislate people, we can force people out of the Church of England, but I think the experience in America shows that you cannot force people out of the Anglican Communion because there are a lot of archbishops elsewhere in the world who will be more than happy to provide support.'
At present, a quarter of serving Anglican priests in England and Wales are women, and more than half of those currently in training for the ordained ministry are women.
The first women priests were ordained in 1994, and the church gave its backing to the principle of women bishops in 2005 and 2006. It first started to debate female ordination 30 years ago.
The Episcopal Church in Scotland has already cleared the way for ordaining women bishops, as have the churches in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Following the breakthrough Synod vote, which still has to be approved by a number of church bodies and both houses of the British parliament, the first Church of England woman bishop is expected to be installed by 2012, or 2014 at the latest.
Non BelieverJul 8th, 2008 - 21:33:08
I'm not a christian, but I think this is excellent news. The first step in the right direction for the christian church. To finally start respecting women. And to the people threatening to leave because a 'girl' is a priest or bishop, don't let the door hit you on the way out! I'm sure all decent christians don't want misogynists like you in their church anyway. Good riddance. I wish the best of luck to all of the women taking advantage of this, irregardless of my lack of religous beliefs. Go for it, it's your right!
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