Church of England Faces Backlash Over Rejecting Bishopesses
November 27, 2012 6 Comments
When the Church of England scuttled plans to allow women bishops on Nov. 20, incoming Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby called it “a very grim day for women and their supporters.”Now, that grim day is turning into a church-state nightmare for Britain’s established church.
The Times of London quoted from a leaked memo to church leaders from William Fittall, secretary general of the General Synod, who called the public and political fallout “severe.”
After the unexpected defeat, the church said the process to allow women bishops would need to begin anew, and couldn’t start again until a new General Synod is seated in 2015.
According to The Times, Fittall’s memo outlined a plan that could lead to simpler legislation, such as a clause to consecrate women bishops with no provision for opponents. That measure could be put to the current synod when it meets again at the University of York next July.
“Parliament is impatient,” Fittall warned. “Unless the Church of England can show very quickly that it’s capable of sorting itself out, we shall be into a major constitutional crisis in Church-State relations, the outcome of which cannot be predicted with confidence.”
A former archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, upped the ante when he called on church leaders to “rip up its rule book” and speed through the introduction of women bishops. He said it was “ridiculous” to assume that the General Synod could not reconsider women bishops until 2015.
A full 42 of the 44 dioceses of the church voted for legislation that would have made women bishops next year. There are 3,600 ordained women in the Church of England and 37 female bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion, including Africa’s first Anglican woman bishop, Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland, who was consecrated five days before the defeat in Britain.
Meantime, Prime Minister David Cameron has warned the church to think again — and fast — about its “very sad” rejection of women bishops.
Very sad?! It’s a Biblical rejection, not so?
About Fr Stephen Smuts
What on earth is that a picture of?
Why, prospective Bishopesses naturally…
Aerobics.
Heh heh heh.
Prime Minister Cameron has no business telling Christians what to believe and how Christians run their church. But then, this is Church of England, so…. (If you are a faithful Christian member of that community, rebellion against the world is a good thing. Do not trust in earthly princes.)
Also, Washington Post’s only proper use is for low-quality toilet paper substitute.
It was not a vote against woman bishops – that principle has already been conceded – it was a vote against the wholly inadequate provision for the orthodox minority. Had they been more gracious, they could have had their woman bishops, and now they are huffing and puffing as though it was not their fault.