MPs signal approval for women bishops
From EVNews
The Daily Telegraph and the Church of England Newspaper report today that the appointment of women bishops now looks increasingly likely after members of Parliament’s Ecclesiastical Committee said that most of the committee were now in favour. Previously they had said that the church was not ready for women bishops.
But this week MPs on the committee, whose approval would be needed before any legislation is passed, said most are now in favour after bishops voted to go ahead with the reforms without any concessions to opponents.
Peter Bottomley, a Conservative MP on the committee said that "Essentially everyone knew that when you had the ordination of women as priests that this would lead to the ordination of women bishops after a decent length of pause. Some would say it has now been an indecent length of pause."
Asked whether the committee would endorse legislation for women bishops, Mr Bottomley said: "My guess is, on balance, we will. Some with enthusiasm and some without."
However, Margaret Brown, who represents the Third Province Movement said: ‘The Ecclesiastical Committee of parliament only agreed to women in the priesthood if proper provision was made to look after those opposed to it. The consequences of having no provision would be very serious and there is even the possibility of cutting off the money supply which could break-up the Church of England."
In 1992 the Ecclesiastical Committee insisted that provisions must be made for those opposed to women bishops, but at a meeting last week, bishops voted to bring in women bishops without any provision for opponents.
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(Sources: The Daily Telegraph 30/05/08, The Church of England Newspaper, 30/05/08)
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