Renewed divisions over the issue of homosexuality are set to drag the Church of England further into crisis at the start of the new year. A disclosure revealed that more than 50 gay and lesbian priests from the Church of England have been "married" under the Civil Partnership Act.

The reports have re-opened the controversy on the issue, with traditionalists and evangelicals strongly opposed to homosexuality among clergymen saying they would force forward an open debate at next month's General Synod.

Already the Church of England's stance on the issue has been blurred by the Church of England Council of Bishops, which said in 2005 that clergy could enter civil partnerships as long as they informed their supervising bishop that they would abstain from partaking in sexual relations with their partner. This decision, as well as the lack of strictness in the implementation of the rule, has seen criticism emerge.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is also likely to face criticism from primates of the Anglican Communion at a meeting set to take place in Tanzania in February, says The Sunday Times. The summit was called to mend splits caused by the ordination of Gene Robinson, who became the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion in 2003.

According to Virtue Online, Church Society's Chairman, George Curry, has predicted a "crunch moment" at the General Synod in February.

He said, "Many of these people have defied the guidance. These are men and women who are in active sexual relationships. These figures expose the bishops' failure of leadership."