Thinking Anglicans provides the resolution, which after two amendments reads:
That this Synod:
(a) affirm that the wish of its majority is for women to be admitted to the episcopate;
(b) affirm its view that special arrangements be available, within the existing structures of the Church of England, for those who as a matter of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of women as bishops or priests;
(c) affirm that these should be contained in a statutory national code of practice to which all concerned would be required to have regard; and
(d) instruct the legislative drafting group, in consultation with the House of Bishops, to complete its work accordingly, including preparing the first draft of a code of practice, so that the Business Committee can include first consideration of the draft legislation in the agenda for the February 2009 group of sessions.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God!
Via the Episcopal Café. Thanks to Ann for the tip.
It is a good beginning, yes Grandmere? --I am sorry they didn't go the whole 9 yards and say no to the concessions.... imagine a culture which has had females in charge of the government for hundreds of years, but cannot fathom it in the church. Beats me.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I want it all, too. My initial exuberance has calmed some, and now I wish for fuller acceptance. But it could have been a lot worse.
ReplyDeleteyes, it could have been far worse. sigh....
ReplyDeleteAnd one which owes its existence to the "Elizabethan Compromise": it does seem odd to a poor country boy.
ReplyDeleteAh, welcome to the 20th century. Let's hope getting to the 21st doesn't take them so long!
ReplyDeleteWhat Kirkepiscatoid said.
ReplyDeleteWhat Kirkepiscatoid said.
ReplyDeleteYes - thanks be to God.
ReplyDeletewell, hooray! it IS a start.
ReplyDeleteoh, Grandmere, I have a question: the exception for those who "cannot receive a woman's ministry"? That's just for England, right?
ReplyDeleteI have often thought that most of the trouble that we have received from the CofE has its real roots in that branch having no women in leadership.
ReplyDeleteWith women as bishops I think that we may see a different CofE emerge. And maybe a different England, too.
Yes, welcome - finally - to the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteDiane, the decisions made at the General Synod of the Church of England apply only to the CofE.
Dennis, OCYCBR. The place needs a woman's touch.
Don't celebrate too quickly or too hard.
ReplyDeleteA victory certainly - but only in a skirmish.
The resolution authorizes the appropriate committee to draft the appropriate legislation for the next session of General Synod in Spring 09.
That measure, including the code of practice, will need to pass by a 2/3 majority in each house.
The margin for today's resolution was 4% short of that threshold among the laity, so despite today's victory (which only required simple majorities in each house), passage of the measure next spring is far from certain.
There is expected to be an election of General Synod clerical and lay delegates prior to the next sitting. However, the antis will be out in full force to organize. Today, they will lie them down and bleed a while. But they will rise to fight again.
Yes, a good victory. But there is work yet to be done.
Yippee!
ReplyDeleteMalcolm, I'm afraid you're right. In the cold light of day, the picture looks less rosy than it did last night. I fear that it may be quite a long time time before we see a woman consecrated bishop in the Church of England. This morning, the principal victories I see are that the the church will move forward in the effort to make women bishops a reality and that Super-bishop plan was voted down - which are real victories. I agree that we're probably rejoicing too much, too soon, for there's a long way to go and many obstacles to be overcome.
ReplyDelete