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"Hundreds of Anglicans Threaten to Leave Church over Women Bishops
Posted: Monday, July 11 , 2005, 12:04 (UK)
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The General Synod of the Church of England today enters the fourth day. Gathering at the University of York, some 500 bishop, clergy and representatives from each province will vote on the consecration of women bishops in the Church of England, which is a critical issue that has split the Church.

Some 800 conservatives, including a number of bishops, have threatened to leave the Church and convert to the Roman Catholic Church if the Synod passes a green light to women bishops, according to Sunday Times. This will be a great hazard to the ministry of the Church amid a declining priesthood in the recent years.

The debate on the consecration of women bishops has been provoked since the Church of England ordained the first women priest in 1994. Women�s rights activities and liberals in the Church have spearheaded the proposals of women bishops, as they argue that it is illogical and unfair to prohibit women priest to take up the higher position of leadership as bishops.

Opponents of the proposal, who are mostly conservative, are concerned about the theological background and the Catholic tradition of a male-centred leadership.

A major document called the Rochester Report published in November 2004, laid out a number of options to resolve the current rift between the conservatives and liberals. One of the revolutionary options suggested the creation of a "Third Province", a parallel Church with male-only clergy led by its own Archbishop and bishops, for those who refuse to work under a female counterpart.

It is expected that the "mass exodus" of conservatives may result if the Synod declines this option.

About nine of the Church's diocesan bishops, including the Bishops of London, Winchester and Durham, are thought to harbour strong doubts about women bishops, according to the Telegraph newspaper.

The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Andrew Burnham, looks after parishes who have rejected women priests. He told the Sunday Times, "A woman bishop wouldn't be a bishop because a bishop is someone whose ministry is acceptable through the ages to all other bishops."

"A Church of England with women bishops would no longer have a united episcopate." He added that he will resign and convert to the Roman Catholic Church if the Church allows women bishops.

In an historic vote today, the Synod will decide whether the Church should begin the process of "removing the legal obstacles for the ordination of women to the episcopate". If the Synod agrees, a House of Bishops' working party will start drawing up proposals to allow the reform to be implemented with the least damage to the Church, according to Telegraph."

Comments anyone?

God bless

Dear Friend,

Well, there are lots of Anglicans who are already "with Rome" in spirit and somehow need to be given a final shove . . .

William Whalen once wrote about an Anglican group of priests called the "Papalists" who are like an association who took a vow to recognize the Papacy as Divinely-instituted, but to, at the same time, remain within Anglicanism to work to reunite it with Rome etc.

I know of High Church Anglican clergy who already commemorate the Pope in their celebration of the Eucharist.

And remember Fr. Al Kimel, our Anglican friend here? I believe he has become Catholic too . . .

Ultimately, it would be best for those Anglican traditionalists to just go to where they belong and where they ARE already in spirit.

Alex

One concession leads to many...I hope the eyes and ears of Rome listening and watching...it is heading their way...

james

Funny isn't it! What an irony, the 'reformation' is driving folks right back to where they came from. The old song 'Faith of our Fathers' wow, well the faith of our fathers despite what those of the merids of Protestant churhes think is rooted in the Catholic Church. So as they still sing 'faith of our fathers living still, in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword'....guess what, they are returning. Their Catholic ancestors were mrytered for the truths of the Churh to which they are returning.

I know for myself, being raised Prostentant, it was interesting as I searched our families heritage. The number of crests that had the cross of the crusaders on it. So I am back to the Church that my fathers belonged to, the Catholic Church.

Pani Rose

Dear Pani,

I hope "Wild Goose" is reading this!

He thinks I don't like the Reformation . . .

Well, I LOVE the Reformation!

I would LOVE for it to come back to Rome!

Alex

I'm a bit skeptical. Some will probably come but pensions and the like keep others at bay. Sad.

Dan L

Dear Professor Dan,

You are doubtless right - but England, at least, has a tried and true tradition of Anglicans returning to the "Olde Religion of Rome," nomatter what the material cost.

The Brits are a hardy bunch - as the world can see for itself these days . . .

When I once toured the Tower of London, the tour-guide talked about Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher.

They said that King Henry VIII's purpose was not to kill them, but to bring them to his side.

Toward this end, they kept lessening the amount of food and warm clothing they were assigned . . .

But Thomas and John refused.

John was so weak from lack of sustenance when he was beheaded on June 22, 1535, that they had to carry him on a litter to the chopping block . . .

Alex

Just when we were complaining about a priest shortage. Hehe, the Lord DOES work in mysterious ways

And there was me saying women Bishops for Anglicans was a bad idea. I never fathomed the possible advantages of this. Go, go, Canterbury women for the Anglican episcopate! Freedom! Equality and all that jazz :p (just leave Mater Roma out of it, k?)

Church opens door to women bishops
(Filed: 11/07/2005)

The General Synod of the Church of England has voted to remove the legal obstacles which prevent women from being ordained as bishops.



After nearly four hours of debates, the meeting at York voted in favour of setting in motion "the process for removing the legal obstacles to the ordination of women to the episcopate".

The controversial move threatens to split the church and today's yes vote will now set in motion church legislation that may take several years to implement.

The motion was proposed by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler.

He told the 500 delegates that women bishops had been openly in ministry in the Anglican Communion for 17 years.

He said: "In no way can it be claimed that in seeking at this time to test the mind of the Church of England we act hastily or precipitately.

"This Synod, well informed on the issues and principles, should be the synod to decide whether in principle to proceed or not.

"I believe that there are good ecclesiological and theological reasons why women should now be able to be ordained bishop."

The Bishop concluded: "The Church of England, Catholic and Reformed, has before acted prophetically for the wider Church vernacular liturgy, married clergy have all been pioneered by our Church and have proved to be a blessing to other communions also. The same I believe will be true of women's orders which we are pioneering."

He added: "There are many hurdles ahead and we will gradually discover whether there is sufficient consensus in our Church."

Such was the strength of feeling on the subject that more than 100 delegates signed up to speak during today's debate and outside several delegates, mainly women, sang songs and chanted slogans calling for the ordination of women as bishops immediately.

Opposing the motion was the Bishop of Chichester, the Rt Rev John Hind, who said the Church needed more time to study the Rochester report.

The report, written by the Bishop of Rochester and published earlier this year, set out the arguments for and against the ordination of women bishops.

In his speech, the Bishop told delegates: "The Church of England has not yet had the theological debate for which the Rochester report was produced and has not agreed the principle of women bishops.

"There continues to be serious disagreement in the Church of England. It reveals deeper disagreements about how we do theology and agree doctrine.

"What matters is not only whether it is right to have women bishops but also what it means to be a Church, what is the place of bishops in it and what do we do when we disagree."

The Bishop added: "Until we know on what principles the faith and order of the Church may develop we should be very cautious. I suspect however that we shall not agree even about that, so I am reinforced in my conviction about the need to set this discussion within a wider debate about what it means to be the Church."

The Bishop went on to say the issue was deeply contentious within the Church, adding: "This debate is not about women bishops but about how the Church makes decisions. I want us to continue talking, listening, watching, attending until God leads us to understand each other in the light of grace that the decision almost makes itself for us."

Following the debate, it emerged that 41 bishops had approved the motion and six had opposed it, while 167 members of the clergy voted in favour and 46 against.

The breakdown of figures also showed that 159 members of the laity had approved the move and 75 had rejected it.

The Rev Jean Mayland, a veteran campaigner in favour of the ordination of women and chair of the York branch of Women and the Church, spoke afterwards of her joy.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted that the Synod has taken this opportunity to move forward. "There's still some way to go and some time left to debate the concerns raised by some at the Synod but I think we would have ceased to be credible as a Church if we had not taken this step forward."

I guess the discussions between the Anglicans and Orthodox will be put on ice...or deep freeze.

james

Can't wait to hear them in the States..."now"

Thank goodness for women bishops in the Anglican Church. If that's what it takes for conservative Anglicans to return to the True Faith (which is sad in the first place), then bring on the bishopesses!

Logos Teen

A proposal to form a third line in the anglican church of an all male episcopy is absolutely Laughable !!!!!!!!!!!

I certainly hope the return of hundreds of Anglican clergy to the Catholic Church materializes - and this time, Pope Benedict XVI is unlikely to oppose the idea. But I'm not holding my breath.

Incognitus

I hope they do return to the Catholic communion.

But they predicted similar moves after the first deaconesses were ordained deacons, and then priests, and the mass conversion never actually happened. I suspect that the Church of England will survive this latest crisis, as they have managed to endure so many others?

These same folks complain loudly over every change and innovation, but the truth is simple. They will stay and put up with anything, just like they always do.