THE P RTAL
September 2014
What is
happening?
UK Pages - page 15
Anglican
News
The Revd Paul Benfield explains what is happening with regard
to recent events in the Church of England and gives us a warning
L
ast month
I reported that the General Synod had given final approval to the measure and
canon that will enable women to become bishops. Things have moved very fast since then. The legislative
Committee of Synod met while we were still in York and approved the comments and explanations on the
measure for the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament.
Only a week later the Ecclesiastical Committee met
to hear evidence on behalf of Synod. We are often told
how slow the procedures of parliament are, but not
surprisingly, time was found for this matter!
Committee voted unanimously that the matter was
expedient, and so it will be debated by both houses in
the autumn.
of Rochester (who had been chairman of the Steering
Committee which piloted the legislation through
Synod), The Ven. Christine Hardman, Prolocutor of
the Convocation of Canterbury (the chair of the House
of Clergy of that province), Mrs Margaret Swinson (a
member of the steering committee) and Stephen Slack,
the Chief Legal Advisor.
It is obvious to me that had we managed to secure
a settlement which provided provisions for those
opposed in legislative provisions in the measure,
rather than in the canon and other documents in the
package, then we would have had great difficulty in
persuading the Committee that it was expedient.
all churches, and indeed all faiths,
Those who gave evidence on behalf of the Church should beware of an increasingly
included the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop secular parliament
If the measure had contained provisions on the face of
it which seemed to distinguish or differentiate between
male and female bishops then there would have been
I watched the proceedings on the live video feed cries of discrimination, without any understanding of
and it can still be seen on the Parliament Website. the underlying theological difficulties.
The chairman, Lord Lloyd of Berwick, introduced
the proceedings, for the benefit of the members of the
Those who have left t he Church of England may say
public present, with an explanation of the process.
that we who remain should expect nothing else in what
is, in effect, a parliamentary church. But all churches,
He explained that what the committee had to do was and indeed all faiths, should beware of an increasingly
to prepare a report for both houses of parliament as to secular parliament.
whether the measure was expedient having regard to
the constitutional rights of all Her Majesty’s subjects.
Whilst I cannot imagine that any government or
parliament would tackle the Catholic Church head
Some of the questions asked seemed to be concerned on over women’s ordination or civil partnerships and
only with the rights of women priests and bishops rather same sex marriage in church, it might start doing it in
than those of all members of the church or society. other ways.
No-one asked about how effective the mechanisms
for ensuring that the five guiding principles would be
Catholic adoption agencies have already ceased
followed were going to be.
functioning because of their refusal to place
children with gay couples. Governments could start
There was no-one arguing for the minority who withholding grants to faith communities for schools
could not accept women bishops, whereas in the or listed buildings or much other work if they refuse
consideration of the women priests legislation 20 (in the words of David Cameron after the failure of
years earlier there had been. Then the present Act of the last legislation on women bishops) ‘to get with the
Synod was given a rough ride, with some members programme’.
wanting more provisions in legislation. This time the
no-one was arguing for the minority
who could not accept women bishops
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