The Church of England’s dioceses have voted in favour of consecrating female bishops, campaigners said yesterday, clearing one hurdle in a long legislative battle to let women break through the “stained-glass ceiling”.
Only two of the church’s 44 dioceses voted against the draft legislation, easily securing the 50 per cent required for it to go back to the General Synod, or parliament, for another vote, said Watch, a group campaigning for women bishops.
Dioceses have been balloting their members since March this year and yesterday’s result confirmed what had largely been a foregone conclusion following the General Synod’s earlier backing of the motion.
But traditionalist Anglo Catholics and conservative evangelicals have threatened to continue to oppose the draft legislation, calling for more concessions. Traditionalists and evangelicals continue to argue against it on biblical grounds. About 50 disaffected traditionalist bishops and priests in the Church of England have decided to leave the Anglican Church and take up Pope Benedict’s offer to switch to Rome. Others have decided to stay and fight from within. They say Jesus Christ’s apostles were all men and that there is nothing in the Bible or church history to support women bishops.
Even if the draft is backed by a final synod vote next year, the first woman bishop is unlikely to be consecrated before 2014.
The Church of England is part of the 80-million strong, worldwide Anglican Communion.
Other Anglican churches, including the United States, Australia and Canada, already have women bishops.
The consecration of women bishops is one of the most divisive issues facing the church, alongside same-sex marriages and the ordination and consecration of homosexuals.
More open members of the C of E say it is insulting not to admit women to positions of power. They argue that concessions have already been made to appease opponents. Nearly a third of the Church of England’s working priests are female.