Wednesday, May 19, 2010

ENGLAND: Bishops issue statement on women in the episcopate



From Episcopal Life Online-

The House of Bishops of the Church of England has issued a statement in support of a committee report and draft legislation that could pave the way for women to be consecrated as bishops.
The legislation – and its accompanying 142-page report – will be debated at the next session of General Synod, the church's main governing body, when it meets in July.

The bishops, whose statement was issued at the conclusion of their May 17-18 meeting in York, noted that the forthcoming meeting of General Synod would be a key moment in the legislative process when all 470 members will have the opportunity to debate the report and proceed to a clause-by-clause consideration of the draft measure and amending canon.

A measure is a piece of legislation that, once passed by the General Synod, requires approval by the British Parliament.

The bishops said that the synod will be helped in its task "by the clarity and thoroughness of the committee's analysis," noting that "as previous debates have shown, a majority of the members of the House strongly support the admission of women to the episcopate. At the same time there remains a strong commitment on the part of the House to preserve an honored place within the Church of England for those unable to receive this development. There continues to be a variety of views within the House over the best way of achieving that, while enabling women fully to exercise their new ministry."

More here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/81808_122277_ENG_HTM.htm

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