Anglicans move ahead with proposal for female bishops
Anglicans move ahead with proposal for female bishops, despite threats
of
schism
LONDON, January 10 (CNA) - Although several Anglican communities have
expressed their rejection of the proposal, a number of Anglican bishops
have
said they plan to go ahead with a proposal at the next General Synod to
allow women to be ordained bishops.
A group of Anglican leaders opposed to the idea plan to meet at
Westminster
this month together with over 1000 priests, bishops and laity. They
plan to
argue that sacraments administered by women or by any male priest
ordained
by a female bishop are not authentic.
The leaders say the issue of active homosexuals in the Anglican clergy
has
already caused enough tension in the communion.
According to document leaked to The Times, if the proposal is approved
at
the General Assembly, the first female bishops could be ordained in
less
than six years.
Many Anglican leaders consider the proposal to be premature and they
hope to
postpone discussion of the matter for five to ten years.
The proposal also includes the possibility of allowing a female bishop
to be
named Archbishop of Canterbury-the primate of the Anglican Church-or
Archbishop of York.
Women currently make up 16% of the total clergy of the Anglican
Communion.