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UK - Church of England Backs Women Bishops, in Principle

By Anne Laure Mondesert - November 20, 2013 .

London (AFP) - The Church of England's ruling body voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favour of proposals to allow women bishops.

The General Synod voted 378 to eight in favour of the move, clearing the way for a historic vote which could take place as early as next year on introducing women bishops.

The Church of England has been under intense pressure from the public and politicians to introduce female bishops since previous legislation narrowly failed to pass in the General Synod almost a year ago.

Members of the Synod gathered in London were asked to give first approval to the proposals with a "declaration" by the Church's bishops setting out guidance for parishes which reject female ministry.

The proposals would create an ombudsman to rule on disputes involving traditionalist worshippers who refuse to accept the authority of a woman.

Clergy who fail to cooperate with the ombudsman's inquiries could be disciplined.

A leading supporter of women bishops, the Bishop of Rochester, James Langstaff, welcomed the result of the vote, but warned against "complacency".

"Though we are hugely encouraged... it is not a cause of complacency, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done," he told a press conference.

"People would have voted in favour of this because it is about continuing the process, who may or may not vote in favour of the package at the end of the day -- and that's a reality."

There remain several hurdles to clear.

The proposals will be put before the General Synod again in February and must then be submitted to each diocese before returning to the Synod again in July or November 2014. The legislation must also be approved by parliament.

The Church's second-highest cleric, the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, warned supporters that they had not yet won the fight.

"We should not open the champagne bottles, or whatever drink we regard as celebratory, because we need to agree to work together until the end," he said.

The worldwide Anglican Communion's mother church was plunged into deep soul-searching last November after moves to introduce women bishops were rejected by just six votes.

The collapse of the legislation was described by a senior civil servant as a "train crash" for the Church, and Prime Minister David Cameron said it "needed to get on with it".

The Church of England came under increased pressure when the Church in Wales voted in September to allow women bishops there.

Cameron said on Wednesday the move was essential to bring the Church into the modern world.

"I strongly support women bishops and I hope the Church of England takes this key step to ensure its place as a modern Church in touch with our society," he told parliament.

There are 27 women bishops in the Anglican Church worldwide.

In September, the Reverend Pat Storey was appointed a bishop in the Church of Ireland, becoming the first female Anglican bishop in the British Isles.