St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Women Priests and Bishops

Q. I hear that the Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Church of England might reconsider women priests?

Not really. The Archbishop gave an interview to the Catholic Herald which was selectively reported. In it he said in theory the church might revisit the question of ordaining women, but in fact he could see no theological reasons for doing so, and no practical reasons either. He was actually saying that it is technically possible but so unlikely that it’s virtually certain not to happen.

He went on to say he felt this because of the sheer “ordinariness” of women priests. Ordaining women had turned out to be a great non-issue in most parishes: the fact that it is a woman doing the services rather than a man is no big deal, and most people simply got on with church life as usual. Women priests haven’t spoiled or ruined the church in any of the ways the opponents had feared they might, nor have they transformed or renewed the church in any very spectacular ways either.

Q. Why has it gone all quiet on women bishops at the moment, and where are we up to on that?

The majority of people in the Church of England want women bishops. In fact, more than just a simple majority. However, there are some who are against, and they’ve said they will leave. The problem is what to do about that. There are basically three options:

a) we could set up alternative enclaves for those who don’t like women bishops. We’d have to dismantle the diocesan structure of the Church of England and create new dioceses for the dissenters. A bit like the present situations for women vicars, only the complications would be much worse.
b) we could do it anyway, but then the dissenters will leave.
c) we could stick with men only for a while in the hope that the dissenters would get fewer in number, and that meanwhile we wouldn’t alienate too many of the pro-women activists.

There are a lot of people, it seems, who think that women bishops are right but the cost of an institutional schism or of losing too many people is too high. These people would choose option (c) even though their hearts aren’t really it it. And I myself waver between (b) and (c) for that reason.

Any decision to consecrate women would need a 2/3 majority in all three houses of General Synod. A test vote on the principle in July 2006 gained a majority in all three houses, but less than 2/3 in the house of laity. I guess that means the subject will now go quiet until 2010, when the next General Synod will be elected.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. December 2006, Page 6.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (December 2006) Christmas, Buildings, Women Bishops, Song. Other questions.	Women Priests and Bishops Q. I hear that the Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Church of England might reconsider women priests? Not really. The Archbishop gave an interview to the Catholic Herald which was selectively reported. In it he said in theory the church might revisit the question of ordaining women, but in fact he could see no theological reasons for doing so, and no practical reasons either. He was actually saying that it is technically possible but so unlikely that it’s virtually certain not to happen. He went on to say he felt this because of the sheer “ordinariness” of women priests. Ordaining women had turned out to be a great non-issue in most parishes: the fact that it is a woman doing the services rather than a man is no big deal, and most people simply got on with church life as usual. Women priests haven’t spoiled or ruined the church in any of the ways the opponents had feared they might, nor have they transformed or renewed the church in any very spectacular ways either. Q. Why has it gone all quiet on women bishops at the moment, and where are we up to on that? The majority of people in the Church of England want women bishops. In fact, more than just a simple majority. However, there are some who are against, and they’ve said they will leave. The problem is what to do about that. There are basically three options: a) we could set up alternative enclaves for those who don’t like women bishops. We’d have to dismantle the diocesan structure of the Church of England and create new dioceses for the dissenters. A bit like the present situations for women vicars, only the complications would be much worse. b) we could do it anyway, but then the dissenters will leave. c) we could stick with men only for a while in the hope that the dissenters would get fewer in number, and that meanwhile we wouldn’t alienate too many of the pro-women activists. There are a lot of people, it seems, who think that women bishops are right but the cost of an institutional schism or of losing too many people is too high. These people would choose option (c) even though their hearts aren’t really it it. And I myself waver between (b) and (c) for that reason. Any decision to consecrate women would need a 2/3 majority in all three houses of General Synod. A test vote on the principle in July 2006 gained a majority in all three houses, but less than 2/3 in the house of laity. I guess that means the subject will now go quiet until 2010, when the next General Synod will be elected. John Hartley
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