Synod to vote on women bishops

20 November 2012 Last updated at 06:48 ET

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The Reverend Sally Hitchiner: "Anything could happen, really do watch this space"

The Church of England's governing general synod is due to vote on whether to allow women to become bishops.

Bishops and clergy are expected to achieve the necessary two-thirds majorities in favour, but the lay members' vote could be tight.

Twenty years after the introduction of women priests, the issue continues to split traditionalists and liberals.

The synod is debating the legislation, including the latest compromise for parishes that oppose women bishops.

The vote is being seen as the first major test for the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Reverend Justin Welby. The current bishop of Durham is expected to speak during the debate and urge the synod to support the introduction of women bishops.

Approval is also supported by the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, who has warned of turmoil in the Church if the change is voted down.

If backed by the synod, the legislation would then make its way through Parliament and could lead to the first women bishops being ordained by 2014.

At the synod debate on Tuesday, Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, said that rejecting the move would "do real harm to the credibility and mission of the Church" and deal "a devastating blow to the morale of many".

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Analysis

Emily Buchanan BBC News

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It is nearly 20 years since the first women priests were ordained in the Church of England.

Many thought it was only a matter of time before opposition faded away and women bishops would naturally follow.

But the theological divisions between liberals and conservative evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics are as deep as ever, and these last two groupings, both against women bishops, are growing in numbers and influence.

Their concerns centre round provisions in the proposed legislation to allow opposing parishes the supervision of a sympathetic stand-in male bishop - which, they say, aren't strong enough.

If the measure does get passed, then women bishops could be consecrated by 2014. If not, it will be back to the drawing board and there will be no new legislation on women bishops for about five years.

But Canon Simon Killwick, leader of the Catholic group in the synod, insisted that the measure before it was "not fit for purpose".

He said that the compromise wording on provision for opponents of women bishops was "no compromise at all, because it has united against it the whole spectrum of traditionalists."

A three-day meeting of the synod began at Church House in Westminster on Monday.

Approval requires two-thirds majorities in each of the synod's three houses: bishops, clergy and laity.

If the measure is approved, the legislation will go to Parliament before receiving royal assent.

However, if it is defeated, the legislative process will need to start again and another vote would not take place before 2019.

Women now make up about a third of all clergy in the Church of England.

The current process of formulating legislation to allow their ordination as bishops began in 2000.

The arrangements for instances when a female bishop is appointed but traditionalist parishes reject her authority have proved a stumbling block to its approval.

Rewording

Under the plans, a woman bishop would delegate to a stand-in male bishop, but traditionalists want to be sure he would be sympathetic to their views - and not a supporter of women bishops - and not be getting his authority from the woman bishop.

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Arguments for and against

For:

• There is a general consensus in the Church of England, which began ordaining female priests in 1994, that the role of bishop should also be open to women
• Women priests have become indispensable, making up a third of the Church's 11,000 clergy including in senior positions as archdeacons and deans of cathedrals
• Some liberals fear concessions to traditionalists might result in women bishops of "second class" status, and have threatened to reject legislation and seek something fairer in some years' time

Against:

• Some traditionalists believe that because Jesus chose only men to be his apostles, the spiritual leadership of the Church should be male only
• Some Anglo-Catholics argue that ordaining women bishops prevents unity with Roman Catholics
• Opponents could not simply tolerate women bishops, as they do women priests, but might have to obey them as their superiors

A vote by the synod was adjourned in July after supporters of women bishops objected to a concession they felt went too far, by suggesting stand-in male bishops exercise their ministry in accordance with the parishes' "theological convictions".

The legislation has since been reworded to say the male bishop should be selected in a manner that "respects" the reasons why the parish asked for him.

Some Anglo-Catholics and conservative evangelicals continue to reject a deal, and a coalition of traditionalists, evangelicals and Catholics within the Church has sent a booklet to all 468 members of the synod arguing the draft measure falls short of what they need.

In a letter to the Times newspaper on Friday, signed by 327 clergy from all but one of the Church's 44 dioceses, they said backing for the draft measure would "lead irrevocably to deep fractures appearing within the Church".

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Church members, including bishops, clergy and senior laity, have signed an open letter - published in the Independent newspaper - urging the synod to vote in favour.

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