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| Women bishops law debated by Church of England synod | Women bishops law debated by Church of England synod |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Church of England's ruling general synod has begun debating revised plans to allow women to become bishops. | The Church of England's ruling general synod has begun debating revised plans to allow women to become bishops. |
| Delegates at the meeting in York will vote on the wording of a new church law, which will be decided at a future gathering. | |
| Previous attempts at creating similar legislation have been thrown out because of internal disagreements. | Previous attempts at creating similar legislation have been thrown out because of internal disagreements. |
| Opening the debate, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said there was an urgent need for agreement. | Opening the debate, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich said there was an urgent need for agreement. |
| The last attempt to introduce women bishops was narrowly defeated at a synod meeting in November. | |
| 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 who blocked the draft law said it gave traditionalist parishes inadequate guarantees of access to an alternative, male, bishop. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| "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." | "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 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. |
| 'Further alienation' | 'Further alienation' |
| The general synod is holding a five-day meeting at the University of York, from Friday 5 July to Tuesday 9 July. | 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. | 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. | It was created in response to a report submitted in May by a working group from all three houses. |
| 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 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. |
| During the debate, the traditionalists warned the synod they would be alienated from the Church unless safeguards were written into the law, but an attempt to do so was defeated. | |
| 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. | |
| He said many speakers have acknowledged a serious loss of trust between Anglicans resulting from the dispute about women bishops. | |
| More than 20 years after the introduction of women priests, they now make up about a third of the Church's priests. | More than 20 years after the introduction of women priests, they now make up about a third of the Church's priests. |
| Some - but not all - of the CofE's evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics oppose the appointment of women bishops. | |
| Anglo-Catholics revere the traditions and ceremonies of the Church. Some believe a woman cannot be a valid bishop and ordaining women prevents unity with the Roman Catholics. | |
| Evangelicals place great stress on the teachings of the Bible. Those who oppose women bishops say scripture requires male headship in the Church. |