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| Women bishops: Welby urges synod to vote in favour | Women bishops: Welby urges synod to vote in favour |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The next Archbishop of Canterbury has backed the ordination of women bishops, saying it is "time to finish the job" started with appointing women priests. | |
| The Rt Rev Justin Welby told the Church of England general synod he would ensure provisions for opponents were "carried out faithfully". | |
| The synod is due to vote on proposed legislation later. Bishops and clergy are expected to achieve the necessary two-thirds majorities in favour. | |
| But the lay members' vote may be tight. | But the lay members' vote may be tight. |
| Justin Welby, currently Bishop of Durham, told the synod he was "deeply committed" to seeing that concessions to opponents of women's ordination were "carried out faithfully". | Justin Welby, currently Bishop of Durham, told the synod he was "deeply committed" to seeing that concessions to opponents of women's ordination were "carried out faithfully". |
| Bishop Welby said the Church needed to show it could "Manage diversity of view without division - diversity in amity, not diversity in enmity." | |
| "This is as good as we can get. Our will and intention are far more important than the rules," he added. | |
| Twenty years after the introduction of women priests, the issue continues to divide traditionalists among those on the Church's evangelical and Anglo-catholic wings, and reformers. | |
| Remaining divisions in the synod centre on whether these concessions - under which parishes objecting to women bishops can request to be placed under a stand-in male bishop - go far enough, or too far. | Remaining divisions in the synod centre on whether these concessions - under which parishes objecting to women bishops can request to be placed under a stand-in male bishop - go far enough, or too far. |
| It is nearly 20 years since the first women priests were ordained in the Church of England. | |
| Many thought it was only a matter of time before opposition faded away and women bishops would naturally follow. | |
| But the theological divisions between liberals and conservative evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics are as deep as ever, and these last two groupings, both against women bishops, are growing in numbers and influence. | |
| Their concerns centre round provisions in the proposed legislation to allow opposing parishes the supervision of a sympathetic stand-in male bishop - which, they say, aren't strong enough. | |
| If the measure does get passed, then women bishops could be consecrated by 2014. If not, it will be back to the drawing board and there will be no new legislation on women bishops for about five years. | |
| If backed by the synod, the legislation would then make its way through Parliament and could lead to the first women bishops being ordained by 2014. | If backed by the synod, the legislation would then make its way through Parliament and could lead to the first women bishops being ordained by 2014. |
| The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, a noted evangelical, said he had changed his mind on the issue. "I now believe that for the mission of God to the people of England it is right for women to take up their place in this House of Bishops sitting before you now," he told the synod. | |
| The Reverend Rosie Harper, vicar of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, said earlier in the debate: "If the proposed legislation passes there will be those who say that the assurances they have been given are too weak - but those assurances will be firmly in place. | The Reverend Rosie Harper, vicar of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, said earlier in the debate: "If the proposed legislation passes there will be those who say that the assurances they have been given are too weak - but those assurances will be firmly in place. |
| "If the proposed legislation fails, the consequences I believe are far more severe." | "If the proposed legislation fails, the consequences I believe are far more severe." |
| She went on: "Firstly, as a Church for the whole country we will be seen to have failed to do what is right and honourable; a Church with lower moral standards than the rest of society risks its right to comment on other issues. | She went on: "Firstly, as a Church for the whole country we will be seen to have failed to do what is right and honourable; a Church with lower moral standards than the rest of society risks its right to comment on other issues. |
| "Secondly, it will inevitably be seen as the act of a dying Church more wedded to the past than committed to hope for the future." | "Secondly, it will inevitably be seen as the act of a dying Church more wedded to the past than committed to hope for the future." |
| 'Profoundly un-Anglican' | 'Profoundly un-Anglican' |
| But Canon Simon Killwick, leader of the Catholic group in the synod, insisted that the measure before it was "not fit for purpose". | But Canon Simon Killwick, leader of the Catholic group in the synod, insisted that the measure before it was "not fit for purpose". |
| He said that the compromise wording on provision for opponents of women bishops was "no compromise at all, because it has united against it the whole spectrum of traditionalists." | He said that the compromise wording on provision for opponents of women bishops was "no compromise at all, because it has united against it the whole spectrum of traditionalists." |
| And the Reverend Rod Thomas, vicar of St Matthew's Elburton, Plymouth and leader of the Evangelical group Reform, said the measure was forcing members of the Church "to accept something that we do not believe the Bible teaches". | And the Reverend Rod Thomas, vicar of St Matthew's Elburton, Plymouth and leader of the Evangelical group Reform, said the measure was forcing members of the Church "to accept something that we do not believe the Bible teaches". |
| "That is profoundly un-Anglican to force people into this position," he said. | "That is profoundly un-Anglican to force people into this position," he said. |
| Preaching at the Holy Communion service before the start of the debate, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said he hoped that from the deeply held convictions of the two sides "something will emerge that is Christ-like in character". | |
| Women now make up about a third of all clergy in the Church of England. | Women now make up about a third of all clergy in the Church of England. |
| The current process of formulating legislation to allow their ordination as bishops began in 2000. | The current process of formulating legislation to allow their ordination as bishops began in 2000. |
| The arrangements for instances when a female bishop is appointed but traditionalist parishes reject her authority have proved a stumbling block to its approval. | The arrangements for instances when a female bishop is appointed but traditionalist parishes reject her authority have proved a stumbling block to its approval. |
| Under the plans, a woman bishop would delegate to a stand-in male bishop, but traditionalists want to be sure he would be sympathetic to their views - and not a supporter of women bishops - and not be getting his authority from the woman bishop. | Under the plans, a woman bishop would delegate to a stand-in male bishop, but traditionalists want to be sure he would be sympathetic to their views - and not a supporter of women bishops - and not be getting his authority from the woman bishop. |
| A vote by the synod was adjourned in July after supporters of women bishops objected to a concession they felt went too far, by suggesting stand-in male bishops exercise their ministry in accordance with the parishes' "theological convictions". | A vote by the synod was adjourned in July after supporters of women bishops objected to a concession they felt went too far, by suggesting stand-in male bishops exercise their ministry in accordance with the parishes' "theological convictions". |
| Rewording | |
| The legislation has since been reworded to say the male bishop should be selected in a manner that "respects" the reasons why the parish asked for him. | The legislation has since been reworded to say the male bishop should be selected in a manner that "respects" the reasons why the parish asked for him. |
| Approval requires two-thirds majorities in each of the synod's three houses: bishops, clergy and laity. | Approval requires two-thirds majorities in each of the synod's three houses: bishops, clergy and laity. |
| If the measure is approved, the legislation will go to Parliament before receiving royal assent. The synod must then debate a Code of Practice on how the law will be carried out. | If the measure is approved, the legislation will go to Parliament before receiving royal assent. The synod must then debate a Code of Practice on how the law will be carried out. |
| If it is defeated, the legislative process will need to start again and another vote would not take place before 2019. | If it is defeated, the legislative process will need to start again and another vote would not take place before 2019. |
| Some Anglo-Catholics and conservative evangelicals continue to reject a deal, and a coalition of traditionalists, evangelicals and Catholics within the Church has sent a booklet to all 468 members of the synod arguing the draft measure falls short of what they need. | Some Anglo-Catholics and conservative evangelicals continue to reject a deal, and a coalition of traditionalists, evangelicals and Catholics within the Church has sent a booklet to all 468 members of the synod arguing the draft measure falls short of what they need. |
| In a letter to the Times newspaper on Friday, signed by 327 clergy from all but one of the Church's 44 dioceses, they said backing for the draft measure would "lead irrevocably to deep fractures appearing within the Church". | In a letter to the Times newspaper on Friday, signed by 327 clergy from all but one of the Church's 44 dioceses, they said backing for the draft measure would "lead irrevocably to deep fractures appearing within the Church". |
| Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Church members, including bishops, clergy and senior laity, have signed an open letter - published in the Independent newspaper - urging the synod to vote in favour. | Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Church members, including bishops, clergy and senior laity, have signed an open letter - published in the Independent newspaper - urging the synod to vote in favour. |
| Do you support or oppose women bishops in the Church of England? Are you a female member of the clergy? Please fill in the form below if you are willing to be interviewed by the BBC. | Do you support or oppose women bishops in the Church of England? Are you a female member of the clergy? Please fill in the form below if you are willing to be interviewed by the BBC. |