Toned-Down Decision for Women Bishops as Church of England Debate Way Forward

The Church of England’s recent General Synod resulted in an historic vote taking place, which sets in motion the process for women to be able to take up positions in the Church as bishops. However, for such a significant result the whole event has seemed to have been very toned down.

The Church of England Synod, which met in York were reported as being very much silent as the vote was read out. Overall, the result revealed a 3:1 proportion in favour of beginning the processes and legislation to bring about the fundamental change in the Church.

Women outside the Hall where the result was read, however, were ecstatic and declared their joy openly.

Christina Rees, of Women and the Church group commented that the decision was historic, and affirmed the service that women have carried out as priests over the past 11 years.

Ress was reported as saying, "We will look back at July 11 2005 and wonder why it took us so long."

However, the change that seems to be coming about in the Church is fundamental in nature. The Anglican Church has historically followed the traditions of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in the way that only male priests were allowed to be ordained.

The authority given to a bishop as a teacher and leader to guide other Christians has been something fundamental to the all denominations, and now the issue has seen two separate views formed in which the Anglican Church seems to be split on.

The traditional Catholic side of the Anglican Church has taken a more exalted view of priesthood generally, and the significance of bishops in particular, reported BBC news.

Generally this side of the Church have put much focus and emphasis on the fact that Jesus’ apostles were all men, indicating a clear sign that the highest clergy members also should remain male.

Although the current split is serious, it seems as though the fundamental nature of this issue does not pose the same threats as that as the ordination of gay clergy or the blessings of same-sex marriages.

When the decision was made to allow women to become priests, approximately 400 clergy left the Church in protest at the decision. However, this time the number is likely to be far higher.

BBC reported that one leading Anglo-Catholic, former Archdeacon of York, George Austin said, "It's the beginning of the end for people like us."

Also Fr David Houlding, who is the leader of the Catholic Group on the Synod stated, "Unless there's proper provision, there will be a great haemorrhage of clergy, far more than after women were priested."

The main opposition to the new development have said that it was easy to avoid women priests, but women bishops would obviously open the door a lot further. As women bishops would certainly ordain other clergy, however, as certain members of the Church would not accept the authority of the women bishop to do this, they would claim that the clergy they ordain would not be bishops at all.

Divisions now are starting to appear as some clergy are demanding their own province to divide the Church up into segments. The proposed ‘Third Province’ would not allow women clergy at all.

Another suggestion to halt a full-scale schism has been for an extension to the system of "flying bishops". In addition to this it has been mentioned among clergy in the Church of England that maybe a restriction be put on women bishops for them to only assist male bishops’ posts, or to be part of Episcopal teams that would include at least one male member.

However, the Church is still discussing and debating on the best way forward now on the matter, but whatever route is taken, the first women bishops are highly unlikely to come about until at least 2010 due to the extensive procedures involved in the issue.