In a landmark decision recently, the Church of England, the mother church for the world’s 80 million member Anglican Communion, voted against allowing women to become bishops at their General Synod held in London. Passage of any legislation in the Church of England at synod must be approved by two-thirds majorities in the synod’s three houses, bishops, priests and laity. The vote was 132 in favor and 74 against in house of laity, not reaching the two-thirds majority. It passed easily in the house of bishops 44-3 and clergy 148-45. The defeat was a clear setback for the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, who will retire this month, and to his newly elected successor Bishop Justin Welby. Both these bishops strongly endorsed the measure and advocated for its passage.
The conservative wing of the Anglican Communion, commonly described as evangelicals or Anglo-Catholics, hailed the decision as keeping with the long standing tradition of the church. The Anglo-Catholic wing of the church at synod issued a statement that said in part that they “in conscience, are unable to accept the ministry of women as bishops or priests.” One of the voting members from the house of laity who opposed the measure pleaded that they not “bow to cultural pressure,” warning that more priests would leave and join the Roman Catholic Church if the measure were passed. “England cannot afford this loss if we’re serious about sharing the Gospel with the nation,” she added. Over 60 traditionalist clergy, including five male bishops and over 900 lay members have joined the Roman Catholic Church recently.
On the other side of the issue Archbishop Rowan lamented the decision and called those who voted against it as being “unrealistic.” Speaking in the aftermath of the vote he said the Church of England risked being perceived as “willfully blind” to the demands from the wider British society and that they must do away with institutional and theological sexism. “After all the effort that’s gone into this process over the last few years, after the intense frustration that has been experienced in recent years…it would be tempting to conclude that it’s too difficult, that perhaps the issue should be parked for a while,” he said. “I do not believe that is possible because of…the sense of credibility in the wider society. Every day that we fail to resolve this to our satisfaction…is a day when our credibility in the public eye is likely to diminish.”
Bishop Justin Welby, the newly elected Archbishop of Canterbury, also shared his disappointment at the results of the vote at synod. One of the gifts that Bishop Welby brings to his new role is that he is an accomplished and experienced conflict negotiator coming from the corporate world. At the synod prior to the voting Bishop Welby received the loudest ovation when he urged members to compromise and vote for the measure, citing the bloody conflicts in the Middle East and Africa as examples of what intractable differences can lead to. When asked if he would continue to advocate for women’s ordination to the episcopacy Bishop Welby said, “The church has voted overwhelmingly in favor of the principle. It is a question of finding a way that there is a real consensus that is the right way forward. That is going to take some time, some care and some prudence.”
The issue of women’s ordination to the priesthood is a neuralgic topic for Catholics and Orthodox Christians as well. Earlier this month the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the priesthood because of his participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and “a simulated Mass,” announced his former religious superiors from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers last week. His former superiors said, “Mr. Bourgeois chose to campaign against the teachings of the Catholic Church in secular and non-Catholic venues…disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women’s ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal and laicization.” Mr. Bourgeois’ defiant response was “the Vatican and Maryknoll can dismiss me, but they cannot dismiss the issue of gender inequality in the Catholic Church. The demand for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away.”
Archbishop Williams spoke during his sermon on the day of the vote of Cardinal John Henry Newman’s motto, “heart speaks to heart.” As many differ on this issue he counseled, “that is what we are praying and we are saying for our day, not, please God, just an exchange of ideas, not just for a rival taking of positions, but somehow that, from the center of myself and center of yourself, something will emerge that is Christ-like in character.”
Father Joseph D. Wallace is coordinator, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Diocese of Camden.
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