Women and the Church (WATCH) has issued this press release.
Press Release 9th July 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Adjournment gives bishops opportunity for the House of Bishops to reconsider Clause 5(1)(c)
WATCH is relieved that General Synod has today adjourned the final vote on consecrating women as bishops in the Church of England. 288:144 with 15 abstentions.
There has been widespread opposition to the inclusion of an amended Clause 5 and this adjournment gives the House of Bishops the opportunity to reconsider.
WATCH hopes that the bishops will withdraw Clause 5(1)(c) so as to allow General Synod the opportunity to vote on legislation that is as close as possible to that which was approved by 42 out of 44 dioceses.
WATCH’s petition asking the House of Bishops to withdraw Clause 5(1)(c) has now attracted nearly 6,000 signatures after just over a week See link on our website.
The Reverend Rachel Weir, Chair of WATCH, said
We are very relieved that the House of Bishops now has the chance to reconsider Clause 5(1)c and we hope that there will be a thorough consultation process over the summer so that whatever is presented to General Synod in November keeps faith with the dioceses that voted overwhelmingly for the unamended Measure.
Disastrous. Why are people so stupid?
You mean the people whose “amendment” would make bishops-who-are-women *permanently 2nd-class* at best? Those people, John? (Just seeking clarification)
“Disastrous. Why are people so stupid?”
Posted by: John on Monday,
But these are not mere people, John, they are Male Bishops on the Church of England.
The Archbishop of York has given a fulsome and unconditional welcome to Vivienne Faull upon her appointment as Dean of York. She will have total authority in her new role and the Archbishop will have to do her the courtesy of seeking permission to enter her Cathedral. Should she be appointed a Bishop, however, the whim of one parish would have been enough to dilute her authority and force her to appoint a parallel male Bishop to act in her place to minister to that parish. Thankfully, that legislation will never be enacted. How might John Sentamu have reacted if,… Read more »
“Transitional arrangements, Diocese by Diocese, lasting for three years or perhaps five, could represent the way forward”
And after three or five years – what then for Conservative Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics?