THE P RTAL
December 2014
UK Pages - page 15
Anglican
Window on the
Church of England
News
The Revd Paul Benfield explains what is happening to the process
by which the Church of England will soon have women bishops?
T
he General
Synod of the Church of England meets in November at the beginning of every
quinqennium when there is as service in Westminster Abbey followed by the formal opening by HM the
Queen in the Synod chamber. In other years it does not meet in November except when necessary for reasons
of urgent business.
Vice-Chair of the House of
It has met in November
Laity.
2012, 2013 and 2014, the
urgency on each occasion
The Archbishop of York
being women bishops. It was
was in the chair and he asked
in November 2012 that the last
that the signing take place in
legislative proposals fell in the
silence. After this was done,
House of Laity. In November
he led Synod in two short
2013 we considered the
prayers and it was all over
proposals proposed by the
without applause or singing.
Steering Committee (of which
I was a member) as a basis for the way forward for Except that it was not quite all over as the House of
the whole Church of England, both those who could Bishops then had to meet to make regulations under
accept women bishops and those who could not. Those the new canon.
proposals were to be enshrined in various documents
These regulations provide for the Independent
which needed different bodies to approve them.
Reviewer and how grievances are to be handled. The
The House of Bishops Declaration (which enshrines regulations (which had been seen in draft by Synod
the five guiding principles and arrangements for those in July) were made later that day and so the whole
who cannot accept women priests and bishops) was package of documents was in place.
made by the House of Bishops in May. The Measure
From Tuesday morning, anyone responsible for
enabling women to become bishops was given final
approval by General Synod in July and approved by nominating a bishop may nominate a woman.
both Houses of Parliament in October. It received This includes diocesan bishops (who nominate
the Royal Assent in November, but there were still suffragan bishops) and the Crown Nominations
further things needing to be done before women could Commission (which nominates diocesan bishops).
Current vacancies in suffragan sees include Hull and
become bishops.
Edmonton, while vacancies in diocesan sees include
Synod formally voted that the
Southwell and Nottingham, Gloucester, Oxford and
Amending Canon be made,
Newcastle.
promulged and executed
So it was that we assembled in Church House on 17th
November and Synod formally voted that Amending
Canon No 33 ‘be made, promulged and executed’. This
canon amends existing canons so that women can be
consecrated as bishops in the Church of England.
the next Bishop of Burnley in
the Diocese of Blackburn
Ten days before Synod met it was announced
that the next Bishop of Burnley in the Diocese of
Blackburn is to be Fr Philip North, currently Team
Rector of the Old St Pancras Team in London and
After the Registrar had read the Instrument of formerly Administrator of the Shrine of our Lady of
Enactment, Synod voted by a simple majority by a Walsingham. He is a member of the Catholic Group
show of hands and the Instrument was then signed on General Synod who has consistently voted against
by the Archbishops, the Prolocutors of the Houses of women bishops and he will not ordain women
Clergy of Canterbury and York and by the Chair and priests.
contents page