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| Church of England General Synod approves female bishops | Church of England General Synod approves female bishops |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Church of England has finally agreed that women may become bishops, ending 20 years of bitter compromises since women were allowed to become priests in 1994. | The Church of England has finally agreed that women may become bishops, ending 20 years of bitter compromises since women were allowed to become priests in 1994. |
| The synod had been threatened with parliamentary action if the measure had failed, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had prepared contingency plans to dissolve it and call fresh elections if the vote had gone the wrong way. | |
| But the crisis was averted by a change of mind, and vote, among lay members. A previous attempt in 2012 failed when 74 lay members voted against, preventing the required two-thirds majority among the laity. | But the crisis was averted by a change of mind, and vote, among lay members. A previous attempt in 2012 failed when 74 lay members voted against, preventing the required two-thirds majority among the laity. |
| Those who changed their minds,included Tom Sutcliffe, who said the measure would now bring "episcopal femininity" that would enrich the church. | Those who changed their minds,included Tom Sutcliffe, who said the measure would now bring "episcopal femininity" that would enrich the church. |
| The conservative evangelical block, which holds that men must never be taught by women, was not entirely pacified by the promise that a male bishop would be appointed who shared their view that the "headship" of the church must be male. Their lay members voted consistently against, as they had done two years ago. | The conservative evangelical block, which holds that men must never be taught by women, was not entirely pacified by the promise that a male bishop would be appointed who shared their view that the "headship" of the church must be male. Their lay members voted consistently against, as they had done two years ago. |
| But the Anglo-Catholics who had opposed female bishops on grounds of tradition yielded in larger numbers. | But the Anglo-Catholics who had opposed female bishops on grounds of tradition yielded in larger numbers. |
| Welby, who has championed the proposal, has said the first female bishop could be chosen before Christmas. | Welby, who has championed the proposal, has said the first female bishop could be chosen before Christmas. |