I know I am a bit late, but, for the sake of completeness, here is the full statement issued by the Church of England after the House of Bishops decided on the final version of the legislation to come before the General Synod in November. Now it will need a two thirds majority in each of the three Houses of Synod (Bishops, Clergy and Laity) for it to go through. Being pragmatic, this probably means that we will need all supporters of women bishops to vote for the Measure and as many opponents as possible to abstain rather than vote against. We shall see.
Anyway, here it is (with a preliminary statement about the Hillsborough report):
PR99.12 –
12/9/12 – For immediate release
Women Bishops: Draft Legislation
The House of Bishops has today by an overwhelming majority settled the text of the legislation to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.
The House of Bishops made clear its desire for the draft legislation to be passed into law when it goes forward for final approval to the Church of England’s General Synod in November.
Speaking on behalf of the House at the conclusion of their meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams said:
“Before turning to the matters we have been discussing, I want to say, on behalf of the Bishops, that our thoughts and prayers are very much with the people of Liverpool and all affected by the Hillsborough tragedy on this day when the report is released. The Bishop of Liverpool has done a great service in steering this work to a conclusion and helping us as a nation to confront this deeply traumatic memory.”
Dr. Williams continued:
“Since women were first made priests in the Church of England in 1994, their ministry has hugely enriched both church and society. It has become increasingly clear to most of us that barring women from becoming bishops is an anomaly that should be removed, for the good of the Church’s mission and service.
“In July this year, the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider an alteration it had made to the proposed legislation on this subject. The Bishops have taken very seriously the anxieties expressed about the possible implications of their amendment and there has been widespread consultation since then. We are very grateful for all the points and suggestions offered by synod members and others.
“In light of this consultation, the Bishops have discussed the measure again and are now bringing forward a new text that expresses both our conviction of the need to see this legislation passed and our desire to honour the conscience and contribution of those in the Church of England whose reservations remain.
“It is particularly significant and welcome that the new text emerged not from the House of Bishops itself but rather from a serving woman priest.
“I hope all members of Synod will now reflect carefully on what the Bishops have decided and will continue to give thought and prayer to how they will vote in November.”
“I am convinced that the time has come for the Church of England to be blessed by the ministry of women as bishops and it is my deep hope that the legislation will pass in November.”
At its meeting in July the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider a provision in the legislation – Clause 5(1)(c) of the draft measure1.
The new amendment submitted by the Rev. Janet Appleby during the consultation process received overwhelming support from the House of Bishops in both their discussions and in the final vote.
In discussion the Bishops welcomed the simplicity of the new text, its emphasis on respect and the process of dialogue with parishes that it will promote.
The final text proposed by the House of Bishops is:
Substitute for the words in clause 5(1)(c):” the selection of male bishops and male priests in a manner which respects the grounds on which parochial church councils issue Letters of Request under section 3″
The House also agreed to establish a group to develop the illustrative draft Code of Practice published in January to give effect to the new provision.
September 13, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Nick, there has been widespread praise for the amendment and people are hopeful that it will be voted through.
I feel like the only woman in the country who doesn’t understand it. The sentiment of the HoB and the words with which it was presented clearly show its intention. But it will ultimately stand and fall by its wording alone. And that appears to the untrained eye to read “we will respect your wishes but they’re not binding and we may or may not take them into account.” Which is great if you believe, as I do, that the sentiment behind them will be honoured at all times, but not if you believe that it will only be a short time before people will be fed up with those who don’t like the idea of women bishops.
I’m concerned about those supporters of women bishops who are still concerned that those who struggle are given adequate provision. Will this be seen as adequate?
Or have I misunderstood what it says?
September 13, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Erika, that very point was discussed at length. The legal meaning of ‘respect’ gave sufficient encouragement to doubters. The important point was that the new amendment demands dialogue and pastoral engagement between the bishop and the parish. More will be explained in due course, but this is just a quickie response.
September 25, 2012 at 7:51 pm
If all members of the cloth are called by God, who are we to argue with that! Women and gays are God’s children too and therefore have just as much right to be called as anyone else. It is arrogance like this that has driven me from the Church. I will not follow any organisation that puts the word of Man before the word of God.