Women inch closer to bishops’ palaces

Members of the General Synod last night approved making a request that Church of England bishops be allowed to amend the legislation before it is given final approval later this year.

The move came after a plea from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who told the Church’s national assembly: “I think we have a very high degree of clarity about the basic principles here. I think we have a possibility of some bits of fine tuning that will take us a little bit further.”

The vote followed a three-hour debate centring on arrangements in dioceses where parishes object to a woman bishop.

Members voted against a move by the Manchester Diocesan Synod to request the House of Bishops introduce further provisions to strengthen the position of traditionalists.

The motion – giving male bishops ministering to objector parishes equal legal status to a female diocesan bishop – was backed by Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, among others, and described as a “lifeline” by one leading Anglo-Catholic member but was attacked by campaigners in favour of women bishops as enforcing discrimination.

The Rev Paul Cartwright, from the Wakefield Diocese, said he too supported the motion. “We almost have women bishops within the grasp of this Synod but we need to ensure we also care for those who hold a different position,” he said.

The General Synod also rejected an attempt brought by the Southwark Diocese in London requesting the House of Bishops press on with the legislation unamended.

The vote comes after 42 out of the 44 dioceses in the Church of England gave their backing to the draft legislation introducing women bishops.

The earliest the Synod can approve the legislation would be in July with the first women bishops being appointed in 2014.