Church schism widens over women bishops

Divisions appeared to widen yesterday between senior Church of England clergy on opposite sides of the debate over the consecration of women bishops, as the issue dominated the agenda at the General Synod.

The Synod has already agreed to the principle of women bishops, but has yet to decide what should be done to appease the 1,300 clergy who are threatening to leave the Anglican Church over the issue. A debate on what special arrangements might be made for objectors to the idea has been tabled for tomorrow, but a final decision was looking unlikely last night as bishops called for further research to be carried out.

Talks might yet be hampered by claims last night that some bishops have already secretly met advisers to the Pope, relaying their concerns over a “liberal” direction to senior Vatican figures.

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Amid fears that the Church might fail to reach a resolution on this occasion in order to avoid a confrontation, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester, said that it was crucial that delegates came to a unanimous decision quickly.

"We are aware of those who argue that now is not the right time, that there are too many other difficult issues around, that the balance of arithmetic within the Church may be different in a few years' time," said the the bishop. "But the fact is, of course, that any legislative process is going to take several years to complete even if we take the first steps now."

He added: "I think the one thing that we would all be sad about would be if this synod on Monday simply were to kick the whole thing into touch."

Traditionalists voiced their objections to a national code of practice

The Rev Angus MacLey of Sevenoaks in Kent said such a code would be "inadequate" and "unworkable" for those who wanted to set themselves apart from women bishops.

"I do recognise that the consecration of women to the episcopate is going to happen," he said.

"I want to highlight that it is reasonable to permit those who consciously object, that it is fair for them to stay in, rather than in any way be sidelined, or forced to leave, because we base our views on accepted theology and biblical views that have been held down the centuries."

Traditionalists point to the Bible for justification. They say that since Jesus chose an all-male band of apostles as his first leaders, he must have seen the job as suitable only for men. Others simply protest that the Church of England would be going back on its founding principles.

For a new generation of women in the church, however, the wait has already been too long. The Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin of Hackney, east London, was one of many female clergy who were concerned about the delay. "In 1994, when I was ordained in the priesthood, I remember a sense of excitement," she said.

"I also remember the sense of overwhelming sadness etched on the faces of the women in their 70s who had served the Church over all their lives and were never allowed to exercise that ministry – and the great loss to the Church [that resulted]. And we continue to say 'let's go back to the drawing board'. We are never, ever going to agree on this."

The possibility of women bishops had strong backing from male members of the Church attending the synod. Tim Hind of Westbury-sub-Mendip in Somerset called for women to be freed from the "shackles" of legislation.

"For the past 15 years we have guarded people in legislation," he said. "It is time to take the shackles off the imprisoned and to allow women access to the ladder."