The historic agreement that women bishops are "consonant" with Church faith was decided by more than two to one – 288 votes to 119 – at the General Synod, the Church's parliament, meeting in York.
The decision came at the end of a two-and-a-half hou
r painful and divisive debate.
More pain and division will be displayed today when Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, spearheads a move to get Anglican "MPs" to back a package of legal structures to enable women to become bishops, possibly by 2012.
In deciding the principle on Saturday, Anglican leaders gave short shrift to opposition to the move, which came chiefly from traditionalists, most of them Anglo-Catholics.
The majority saw off an attempt by traditionalist Bishop of Chichester John Hind merely to "note" instead of "welcome and affirm" the view of the majority of the bishops that admitting women to the episcopate was "consonant with the faith of the church".
They also jettisoned a bid by Synod Catholic group leader Father David Houlding to tag on to the "welcome" move – spearheaded by Archbishop of York John Sentamu – that women bishops would have ecumenical implications, especially in unity talks with the Roman Catholic Church. The vote would be a "huge insult" to Rome, said Fr Houlding.
Deaf ears were turned, too, to other bishops who fear for unity discussions. Bishop of Chester Peter Forster said it was premature to take the step. He warned "We don't want a divided episcopate. We have been wrestling with this issue and have got nowhere. We need more patience."
Nine bishops voted against the move and 31 were in favour. Others against included Bishop of London Richard Chartres and Bishop of Beverley Martyn Jarrett, who ministers to traditionalist parishes in Yorkshire and other parts of the North.
Synod backing of the move came in spite of an admission by Dr Williams that women bishops would result in a "heavy and serious" cost to relations with the Vatican.
But the protagonists pressed for the move as "a sign that the church has finally accepted that both women and men are able to exercise leadership."
Christina Rees, who heads the pressure group WATCH (Women in the Church) said: "This shows that the church affirms the ministry of women alongside men."
The Archbishop of York said the possibility of women in the ministry was first raised as long ago as 1917 and the synod in 1992, 1993 and 1994 approved moves to allow women to be ordained priests.
So the debate had gone on "and women's calling has been tested for nearly 90 years," said Dr Sentamu, who added: "They have kept the faith and remained loyal to the Church of England."
