C of E and women bishops – Church Times and other sources; Becoming post-colonial Anglicans – David Chillingworth writes in the Church Times
Church Times and women bishops
The Church Times has today published a longer than usual leading article: Women bishops: what should happen next.
The General Synod is in trouble. In ten days’ time, it is to consider giving final approval to the consecration of women bishops. In the normal run of things, this would be the stage for a general debate in which the participants return to first principles, examine whether the legislation does or does not fulfil their wishes, and vote accordingly. This debate looks increasingly unlikely to happen…
The effect of the amendments has been the opposite of what was intended, however. The failure of opponents to endorse them, understandable though this may be, and the fierce rejection of them by many of the proponents, to the extent that some have been calling for the Measure to be voted down, mean that the Measure might fall in both the Houses of Laity and Clergy. This would be a farcical end to the long, tortuous synodical process, and hard to square with the overwhelming vote in the diocesan synods…
The Synod is in danger of attracting widespread puzzlement if it fails to agree women bishops after such a long process. Put simply, it must not fail. Anxiety has been expressed about the precedent set by allowing parishes to choose their own type of priest (as if this did not happen at present). A far more worrying precedent will be set if Synod members cannot find a way to live in the same Church as those with whom they disagree.
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2012/29-june/comment/leader-comment/leader-women-bishops-what-should-happen-next
Anglican agonies over women bishops
BBC News – The thorny issue of women bishops may finally be decided at the Church of England general synod. BBC Radio 4’s Charlotte Smith, a regular church-goer herself, samples the views of clergy and congregations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18649820
Church set to reject ‘deal’ on female bishops
The Independent – The battle lines are drawn for the Church of England’s biggest showdown over the ordination of women bishops.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/church-set-to-reject-deal-on-female-bishops-7901924.html
Historic vote on women bishops put in jeopardy as senior female clergy say …
Daily Mail – Reforms to allow women to become bishops, which were expected to be approved by the Church of England this week after 12 years of bitter debate, are in disarray. Some of the Church’s most senior female clergy have denounced the proposed legislation for …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2167139/Historic-vote-women-bishops-jeopardy-senior-female-clergy-say-concessions-make-second-class-citizens.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Becoming post-colonial Anglicans
The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) has written for ChurchTimes (22 June edition) about the recent decision of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church not to adopt the Anglican Covenant. In the article he highlights how the SEC holds tenaciously to its commitment to the Anglican Communion and explains the reasons for this.
The article commences:”At our recent General Synod, the Scottish Episcopal Church decided by a clear majority not to adopt the Anglican Covenant (News, 15 June). In 2011, the Synod had discussed the Covenant in indaba sessions. It was clear then that a decision to adopt was unlikely.
“We tried hard to keep the issue open. I believe that the Anglican Cov¬enant is an honourable attempt to heal our brokenness. But, some time ago, as I set out to address yet another meeting in my diocese, I confided to my blog that I was going to listen to the most committed Anglicans on the planet telling me why they didn’t like the Covenant. They believed that the Covenant was un-Anglican…
http://www.scotland.anglican.org/index.php/news/entry/becoming_post-colonial_anglicans/#When:15:55:44Z