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Draft women bishops law before CofE synod Women bishops law debated by Church of England synod
(about 7 hours later)
The Church of England's ruling General Synod will attempt later to overcome deep disagreement and agree on plans for a new draft law on women bishops. The Church of England's ruling general synod has begun debating revised plans to allow women to become bishops.
Traditionalists rejected legislation in the past as they were dissatisfied with arrangements to allow them to be looked after by male bishops and priests. Delegates at the meeting in York will vote on the wording of a controversial new church law, which will be decided at a future gathering.
They say the new plans offer even fewer concessions to them. Previous attempts at creating similar legislation have been thrown out because of internal disagreements.
But there have been widespread calls to solve the impasse and the plans require only a simple majority at this stage. Opening the debate, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said there was an urgent need for agreement.
More than 20 years after the introduction of women priests, the issue of introducing women bishops has continued to divide opponents - including some but not all of those on the Church's evangelical and Anglo-Catholic wings - from reformers. The last attempt to introduce women bishops was defeated at a synod meeting in November.
Women now make up about a third of the Church's priests and a measure before the synod last November would have made it lawful for them to be consecrated to the office of bishop.
It passed in the Houses of Bishops and Clergy, but failed to gain the required two-thirds majority in the House of Laity.It passed in the Houses of Bishops and Clergy, but failed to gain the required two-thirds majority in the House of Laity.
The lay members said the plans gave traditionalists insufficient guarantees that they would have access to alternative, male, bishops. The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Reverend Nigel Stock, said: "Last November's decision caused profound mystification and unhappiness around much of the Church of England.
Working group "It was a serious blow to our female clergy. It means that it will be at least two years longer than we hoped before woman are able to enrich the episcopate. So, there is a degree of urgency however we look at it."
The General Synod is holding a five-day meeting at the University of York.
Pressure on the Church to reach a solution has grown since November's vote, says the BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott.
The draft legislation from the synod's House of Bishops has been welcomed by supporters of women bishops.
It was created in response to a report submitted in May by a working group from all three Houses.
The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said he wants to see the measure passed as soon as possible.The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said he wants to see the measure passed as soon as possible.
Our correspondent says the synod is likely to approve the plans for the legislation to go forward for a possible vote in 2015, but it could come at the expense of further alienation of its traditionalist minority. 'Further alienation'
The general synod is holding a five-day meeting at the University of York, from Friday 5 July to Tuesday 9 July.
Delegates are being asked to back new proposals from the synod's House of Bishops, which has been welcomed by supporters of women bishops.
It was created in response to a report submitted in May by a working group from all three houses.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says the synod is likely to approve the plans for the legislation to go forward for a possible vote in 2015, but it could come at the expense of further alienation of its traditionalist minority.
The traditionalists are not happy with the plan as the proposal moves away from enshrining concessions to the opponents of women bishops in the legislation itself.The traditionalists are not happy with the plan as the proposal moves away from enshrining concessions to the opponents of women bishops in the legislation itself.
The House of Bishops proposals suggest that the concessions should be in a separate declaration by the synod or by the bishops. The House of Bishops proposals suggest the concessions should be in a separate declaration by the synod or by the bishops.
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