English Synod Moves Toward Women Priests
Episcopal News Service. March 5, 1987 [87048]
LONDON (DPS, March 5) -- The Church of England took a decisive step this winter toward the inclusion of women as priests, as its General Synod voted 317 to 145 to prepare legislation that would admit women to the all-male priesthood.
The passage, by more than a 2-to-l margin, of a report outlining steps needed to bring women into priesthood was a clear signal that church opinion has shifted dramatically over the past five years. The debate here lasted five and a half hours.
Many observers credited the educational work of a group called Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW) and the support of two top Church leaders -- Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie and Archbishop of York John Habgood -- with bringing about the positive vote.
There are still a number of hurdles for the proposal, and there is little likelihood that there will be women priests in the Church of England before 1992. In his speech, Runcie outlined the process:
"The actual decision to ordain women to the priesthood will only have been taken when a draft Measure and Canon is given Final Approval.
"A draft Measure and Canon could at the earliest come before a Synod for general approval in February next year. Then it would go the dioceses before returning to the General Synod. Final approval would, of course, necessitate two thirds majorities in each House. The most optimistic estimate for this debate would be July 1991. This is the earliest when the Church of England could actually make its decision.
"But there may well be delays. There would almost certainly be a call for a separate debate in the Convocations and the House of Laity. Allowing for passage through Parliament and the Royal Assent the earliest possible date for actual ordinations would July 1992. It could take two years longer."
Bishop Graham Leonard of London, standard-bearer of the opposition, said he was not planning to leave the Church or to negotiate with anyone but that he intended to talk with all Anglicans about the new situation. He was apparently referring to the Anglican Communion as a whole, including those who are opposed to women's ordination in North America and elsewhere.
If, as expected, the final vote is not taken until the 1990's, it is possible that Leonard will have retired. He is required to step down at age 70 and is now 66.
Some opponents of women priests have suggested that some church members will break away and move toward Roman Catholicism.
Runcie told the Synod there should not be "premature panic over the prospect of a schism." He said it was "too early to be talking about taking the tarpaulins off the lifeboats or even signalling to other shipping to stand by to take on board some of the passengers."
He noted the continuing theological debate over the ordination of women and went on to add, "Whatever individual members may think of the particular strengths or weakness of the theological arguments deployed in my exchange of correspondence with Cardinal Willebrands, it is clear that we have to take seriously the official reserve of the Roman Catholic Church -- as well as listening to the theology of other ecumenical partners. The bishops gave a prominent place to this kind of discussion in our Report. ARCIC will also be taking it on board as it proceeds to look at the reconciliation of ministries.
"The Report is quite clear that there is no way forward to be found in parallel episcopates or competing Jurisdictions. I, for one, do not intend to preside over the abolition of diocesan episcopacy and the parochial system as the Church of England has known it from the time of my predecessor Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus. Ecumenically, it would be more disastrous to Jeopardize the episcopal nature of the Church of England than to move towards the ordination of women to the priesthood. I do not want the Church of England to slide into a kind of episcopal congregationalism. This would certainly be to betray our catholic and Anglican heritage. I believe that those who once favored the exploration of a 'Continuing Church' are now less enthusiastic. A parallel body claiming to represent the true Church of England is really a nonstarter. The 'Continuing Churches' in South Africa and the USA are not happy examples.
"But what of those -- a substantial minority -- who continue to have grave reservations. The Bishops have never said -- certainly not in this Report -- that those with serious objections to the ordination of women must get out. No-one is being asked to leave. But the Bishops do recognize that some may feel in conscience obliged to sever communion with the Church of England -- even though the majority deny that this is justified. Those who leave may claim that they represent the traditional faith and believe themselves to be entitled to some of the resources of the Church of England. While the bishops note that some may so claim and so believe, they do not themselves endorse this. It is one thing to recognize such an attitude. It is another to say that such people are right. The financial provision the bishops speak of is not therefore compensation. Nor would it apply to parishes or congregations.
"But the bishops do see the importance of safeguards for those who cannot in conscience acquiesce in this development.
"There are clear safeguards for parishes and priests, and for dioceses and bishops."
There are close to 1,000 women priests in the worldwide Anglican Communion, most of them in the Episcopal Church in the United States.