Welsh clerics express 'concern and dismay' over plans for women bishops

A hundred clerics and ordinands of the Church in Wales have expressed "concern and dismay" at the wording of a Bill meant to allow women to join the episcopate, reports the Church Times.

Women priests were first ordained in the Church in Wales in 1997. Those who would not accept the ministry of women priests at that time were able to recourse to the Rt Rev David Thomas, a Provincial Assistant Bishop.

However the new Bill, which was published in July, has no equivalent position for those who dissent against the principle of women priests.

The Rev Alan Rabjohns is the leader of the concerned clerics, who sent a letter to the Church Times expressing their concerns.

In the letter they state, "[Clause 2 of the Bill] offers only a vague, non-defined indication of pastoral care and support from the same Bench of Bishops," whilst Clause 3, "leaves open the possibility of disciplinary action for not accepting the novelty; and the abandonment of exemptions under the civil law would leave us open to persecution."

According to Church Times, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan said he was "totally convinced by the theological arguments" for ordaining women bishops.

The Archbishop's press officer also said to Church Times, "All the proposed amendments to the Bill have been received and will be considered by the select committee of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales."

He continued, "The Bishops have produced pastoral guidelines with the Bill, which aim to balance the recognition of the jurisdiction and authority of any woman bishop who may be ordained with the pastoral issues that may arise as a result. They believe that these guidelines will work effectively if there is a continued building of trust between those of differing views."

Rabjohns said that there was a need for an expanded role for the Provincial Assistant Bishop, "The problem with the legislation as it stands is that it spells out absolutely nothing - it simply says that those who 'object' will be given pastoral care and support."

He continued, "That's too vague. How can you ask the Governing Body to vote for a blank cheque like that? The Archbishop's letter, which went with the Bill, said we wouldn't know the nature of this provision until a woman had actually been appointed a bishop. One wonders whether that's asking a bit much on both sides."

Canon Mary Stallard, Chaplain to the Bishop of St Asaph was quoted by Church Times as saying, "The most precious thing for me in all of this is what we're doing to protect and preserve our church unity. I don't think I'm alone in saying that many of our women would want to hold this up as something to treasure."

She continued: "It's sometimes really easy to think we're being reasonable by talking about 'two integrities', but if we changed the language of the debate and made it a debate about ethnicity or race, then we would see this isn't the way we talk about it at all.

"One of the good things about the way ordained women in the Church in Wales have conducted themselves in this debate is that we haven't put down markers and demands, and have carried on in a Church that hasn't always been inclusive.

"I will be arguing strongly at our Governing Body that, unless we can welcome this wholeheartedly, then we shouldn't do it. If we have to put in the kind of legislation that will effectively break up our Church, then it is too great a cost."

The Bill will be considered by the Governing Body in April 2008 after the Church select committee has considered amendments. The Church in Wales has 696 registered clerics, 160 of them are women.