Since the first ordination of a female priest within the Church of England, the proposal of women bishop consecration has continued to be brought forward. Three years ago, Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali has formally set up a 15-members working group in an attempt to look at the position of females in the Church in the 21st century. Sources point out that the report will probably outline a number of options that can be adopted to deal with the question of women bishops.
Among the seven options, only one option supports the drawing up of single-clause legislation to allow women to be bishops. Three of them suggest a green light to women bishop ordination with certain conditions, and these are being seen as the most controversial ones.
These three options are:
- Allowing women priests to become diocesan bishops, but not archbishops;
- Allowing women priests to become suffragan bishops or full-time assistant bishops, but not giving them their own dioceses;
- Allowing women to become bishops within a diocesan team, which would always include a male bishop.
One option is to maintain the status quo. The other two options are especially concerned for the conservatives of the Church, who claimed to consider leaving the Church of England if it backs the ordination of women bishops:
- Creating an extended form of Episcopal oversight for those refused to be ministered by women bishops;
- Establishing a third province within the Church of England for those opposed to women bishops.
Many worry that this report will open another division within the Church which can be as deep as the one caused by the debate of homosexual clergy. David Stancliffe, Bishop of Salisbury, even though as a supporter of change, he commented that any reform should not result in a fragmented church.
The supporters of women bishops welcome the report, as they consider this as a step forward to their victory. Christina Rees, the head of the Women and the Church (Watch) campaign for female bishops said, “This is another important stage on the way to the appointment of women bishops.”
Nevertheless, the report is expected to be discussed in detail again at the next meeting of the General Synod, the Church’s governing council, in February 2005.
