WATCH: Women and the Church has launched an online petition urging the House of Bishops to withdraw its amendment to clause 5 of the Draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure.
The petition can be seen, and signed, here: The House of Bishops [of the Church of England]: Withdraw Clause 5(1)c.
I have signed the WATCH Petition, and asked personal friends to sign also. I believe it could be a help to our friends in the Church of England, especially if we from overseas Provinces are keen to see Women Bishops properly empowered to exercise options in their own way as diocesan bishops.
the petition states “But the amendment to Clause 5 has caused widespread dismay. It would entrench discrimination against women in the Established Church and place a permanent question mark over the validity of women’s orders”
But what of the men who would be ordained by women bishops, and eventually even the whole women ordaining hierarchy in the Cof E will be regarded by the pure impossiiblist stream as tainted!
If thats not foundation for future schism..what is?
This needs to be added to the petition.
I think it would be more than a little interesting to know how many of the signatures on the WATCH petition belong to Church of England members whom the Measure most directly affects. For instance, in another thread on this site, Father Ron Smith has signed and encourages his fellow Anglicans to do the same. Father Smith is a priest in Christ Church New Zealand. I note that Christians of other denominations are adding to the list as well. I notice, too, that the petition site requires provenance of contributors. Could a member of WATCH please enlighten us as to… Read more »
Benedict, there’s a letter in yesterday’s Times suggesting that to really discover the mind of the Church of England on this contentious issue we need a Referendum of all those whose names are included on Church of England Electoral Rolls. Not easy to organise, I fear, but would ensure that the strong opinions of antipodeans and others, not of the Church of England, are excluded in a ballot on this important matter concerning the Established Church. After all Referendums are very much in the news – we had that one on the voting system not so long ago – there’s… Read more »