ON THE DELAY FOR WOMEN BISHOPS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

A couple of days ago, I received a note from John Iliff in which he commented on the delay by the committee tasked with producing the draft legislation on women bishops in the Church of England, with the result that General Synod will not be able to debate and vote on the legislation at their February gathering. John's words stuck in my mind, and I asked him if I could post them, and he agreed.

I don't know the intricacies of how an established church runs it business, and politics. But I just wonder, if they are delaying and putting off this very necessary legislation to allow women bishops for one reason alone. Isn't February when B16 puts the rubber to the road on his much ballyhooed Anglican Ordinariates? (Or whatever they're called) This may be a way for the CofE to increase pressure on those fence-sitting nose-bleed-high Anglo's flirting with going over to Rome. Just a thought. But it still riles me that B16 by implication trashes my Catholicism, and yours and every other Episcopalian's. The solution of course is to "detach" from such stupidity. Still a work in progress, I guess!

Does the pope's upcoming visit to England play a role in the delay? I suppose we will never know, but to ask the question makes sense to me. As a former Roman Catholic, if I wanted to be part of an institution as centralized as the RCC, I would never have left. I've grown quite fond of the relatively democratic governing process in the Episcopal Church. I realize that the Church of England functions differently and not quite so democratically as TEC.

Of course, John and I may be getting a little paranoid, which would seem rather understandable in the present ecclesiastical atmosphere in which we live and breathe, with our primus inter pares, Archbishop Rowan Williams, gazing longingly toward Rome as the model for his "New Anglican Communion".

Ann Fontaine's post at The Lead, references Churchmouse.

From Mouse's perspective anyone looking in on this process will consider it a farce. I know that there are complex issues involved, and that it is important to get this right, but it seems incredible that the Revision Committee have simply failed to meet the deadline. This issue really should be settled. Dragging feet and stringing out the arguments simply doesn't help anyone.

Some had argued that this would be rushed through in the aftermath of the Pope's offer to take in disaffected Anglicans. Doesn't seem to be working out that way.

Be sure to read the rest of Churchmouse's post and the comments, in which one of the committee members, Bishop Pete, responds to Churchmouse.

What, if anything, IS going on behind the scenes with the delay?

UPDATE: From Thinking Anglicans comes a statement from WATCH (Women and the Church). An excerpt:

Despite this disappointing setback, WATCH would like to thank those members of the Revision Committee who have worked hard and with dedication in their attempt to achieve the aims of the General Synod to create something that offers a moment of transformation of historic proportions in the life of the Church.

“At least no one can say that any stone has been left unturned” said Christina Rees, chair of WATCH. “We now expect the very best legislation to be presented well in advance of the July meeting of General Synod. We hope to see a clear, workable and straightforward set of proposals, which are closely aligned to what Synod requested in July 2008, namely legislation making it possible for women to be bishops within the existing structures of the Church. Perhaps all the extra time this is taking will help the Revision Committee to reach the simplicity that lies beyond complexity.”

There will be great expectations of the draft legislation after the delay.