KEY POINTS:
The Church of England was thrown into disarray last night after its General Synod in York rejected plans put forward by traditionalists to opt out of the controversial consecration of women bishops.
A proposal to create so-called "superbishops", allowing those opposed to the idea of women
bishops to opt out of being administered by them and instead answer to a male "superbishop", was voted down. The defeat for traditionalists raises the real possibility of schism within the Church of England between those in favour of the consecration of women bishops and the alliance of right-wingers, Anglo-Catholics and evangelicals who opposethe idea.
The Synod reserved more than six hours for the heated debate, which threatens to split it unless a compromise between conservatives and liberals can be found.
Hundreds of traditionalist clergy have said they may walk out of the Anglican Communion if the Church goes ahead with the consecration of women bishops without providing legal safeguards to protect their beliefs.
The vote came despite pleas from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, who both appeared to come out in favour of creating a legal framework that would have allowed traditionalists to choose not to be administered by a female bishop n either by joining non-geographical dioceses or being presided over by the so-called "superbishops".
Speaking to the Synod yesterday, the leader of the Anglican Church, Dr Rowan Williams, said he was personally in favour of the consecration of women bishops and "very unhappy" that women priests could still not become bishops. But he also admitted he had "not very comfortably" come to the conclusion that some sort of legislation protecting conservative beliefs may be necessary.
"If we want to preserve the kind of Anglican entity which embodies this sort of ... accountability, I would want to see a more rather than less robust form of structural provision or accommodation," he said. John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, meanwhile, spoke in favour of the superbishop amendment, brought by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer.
Urging the Synod to find a compromise, Dr Sentamu quoted an African proverb: "He who travels fast travels alone. He who travels far travels in the company of others." But the Synod failed to be persuaded and struck down the proposal. Last night traditionalists reacted angrily to the Synod's decision and accused liberal elements in the Church of forcing the traditionalists out.
Canon David Houlding, a senior Anglo-Catholic from London, said: "It's getting worse, we're going downhill very badly ... there's a pincer movement and we're being squeezed out.
"An all-or-nothing amendment ignoring traditionalist demands was also rejected by the Synod. Christina Rees, chair of the pro-women bishop campaign group Women and the Church, told the Synod: "Anything that distinguishes between bishops in our Church is bound to make one set of bishops different."
- INDEPENDENT
