BBC Women bishop row compromise plan fails in synod vote and Archbishop John Sentamu calls for end to ‘spin’
Telegraph Archbishop of York appeals for end of attacks on Archbishop of Canterbury and Split looms for Church over women bishops
Guardian Church of England faces crisis as Synod rejects concession on women bishops
Press Association Synod rejects compromise on bishops
AFP Sentamu urges end to ‘spin’ in Church of England
Ruth Gledhill’s blog is now behind a paywall, but her latest entry is copied in part below the fold.
Mitre versus Right: Clergy defeat Archbishops over women
Ms Ruth Gledhill
…So in the end it was neither laity nor bishops, but the clergy who defeated the bishops. This is a terrible blow to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Their personal and archiepiscopal authority is massively diminished.
Canon Celia Thomson of Gloucester gave one of the best speeches illustrating the problems with what the Archbishops proposed:
‘This is the source of such sadness, such dismay among the ordained women at all stages of their ministry. The effect would be to legislate for the automatic transfer of episcopal authority in law in a way that would not only damage the authority of a woman bishop but also undermine the whole nature of episcopacy in the Church of England.’ She said the nominated bishops were ‘flying bishops’ by another name and that concept had not worked, in particular for women. It could also open up demands for alternative episcopal oversight in other areas where people did not agree with the diocesan bishop.
But even worse, it would send out a ‘damaging message’ about the Church to the wider world.
‘If the Church is seen to discriminate against women by law, not only will it compromise the ministry of women bishops in future and by default of all its women priests, but more fatally, the mission of the Church in the 21st century. Many people will despair of the Church. Most people under 40 simply cannot understand it and so dismiss our beloved Church as irrelevant in our life and in attitudes towards the world.
‘One-third of all clergy are now women.
‘If and when women become bishops they must be allowed to be bishops. The Church cannot have two categories of bishop.’
She warned that women called to be bishops might not have wished to serve under such circumstances.
I had also been given to understand that Parliament might reject a measure as amended by the Archbishops, and that the women themselves might vote against it and defeat it in the end had the Archbishops been successful…
Is Sugden’s statement that the measure required a 2/3 majority in all three houses correct? If so, the measure failed in every house including, barely, the House of Bishops.
I join Ruth Gledhill in commending the clerical members of the General Synod. Good on them!
Already, the voice of Women in general Synod helps the Gentlemen of Synod to understand the need to avoid duplicity in a policy of Episcopal jurisdiction which would aid and abet a two-tier system of jurisdiction within the Church – to the disadvantage of Women Bishops and the ministry of women at large in the Church. Thank God for women of principle whom God has given the grace of Orders!
I did not want the Archbishops’ amendment to be carried. Wanting to see Synod vote against our Archbishops went against my every theological and ecclesiological grain. I was deeply impressed by Abp Rowan’s speech in favour of the amendment. But I am still glad it was not carried. However, I cannot rejoice that Synod is so divided, even though I believe the Church made a good decision this afternoon. But, to my Anglo-Catholic and conservative evangelical brothers and sisters I would like to say this: Synod has not rejected a compromise; it has rejected this compromise. The proposed legislation put… Read more »
Wot Our Ruth said: TBTG! (and the CofE clergy!)
‘Following the Vote, Fr Jonathan Baker, Principal of Pusey House, Oxford, immediately called for a “Pause for reflection and prayer”. “We’re in a remarkable place” he said’ – Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Telegraph – I really do suspect that God’s Holy Spirit has been busy listening to the Prayers of The Faithful on this issue for a long time now. We certainly are ‘in a remarkable place’ – that place where many Provinces of the world-wide Anglican Communion have ‘gone before’ – a place where Gospel Truth and justice demands that women and men are seen to be equally used by God… Read more »
I understand Sentamu’s frustration but it’s the Princess Diana syndrome – if you use the media, it will use you, and he has not been shy of the camera or the soundbite:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1572026/Sentamu-cuts-up-dog-collar-in-Mugabe-protest.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4787855.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5106405/Archbishop-of-York-Dr-John-Sentamu-calls-for-St-Georges-Day-to-be-a-national-holiday.html
Genie, bottle, I am afraid.
“Spin” “a remarkable, gifted and much-maligned”… Bad loser.
One cannot avoid the impression that “co-ordinate” powers mean sub-ordinate. And the sub-ordination is already in place – only not in women.
“I call a dear friend and trusted colleague”
I wouldn’t.
Guardian :’Crisis’ ?
What crisis ? It’s called democracy. It’s called church government. It’s voting. It’s following rules and standing orders and procedures agreed in advance.
Hysterical press posturing and late night meetings with archbishops ain’t a standard part of the usual non-manipulative adult way of going about things.
I really am pretty surprised that this is as big of a deal as it is. It was pretty obvious to me back in the 70s when we started priesting women that having women bishops was an inevitable consequence of that action. The Brits have had women priests since the 90s, but an outsider might be forgiven for thinking that the CofE had only thought of the possibility of women bishops last week.
May I just say that I find the use of “priest” as a verb to be truly abhorrent?
“May I just say that I find the use of “priest” as a verb to be truly abhorrent?”
You may, but it doesn’t create a sense of obligation in me.