The Catholic Group in General Synod is grateful to the Archbishops for their suggestion of a possible way forward for the Church of England, both to enable the consecration of women bishops and to provide for those who cannot in conscience accept the ministry of women bishops. We are particularly grateful for their recognition of the need for bishops with jurisdiction in their own right to minister to us, and to all those who share our convictions.
We look forward to studying the amendments in detail when they are published. We very much hope that they will provide ‘nominated bishops’ who will be real leaders in mission and ministry. It is also be vital that the amendments provide for us to continue to hold a principled theological position, looking to the faith and order of the undivided Church. We believe that the Church will be better served by the consistency of a national scheme of provision.
The Catholic Group is wholly committed to securing provision within the Church of England.
Canon Simon Killwick
(Chairman of the Catholic Group)
I woud think that the provision is all fine and well … for the time being. However, in a generation or two, the Anglo-Catholics (those that are left in the C of E) will strain to find clergy for their parishes who can establish certainty about their ordination. In other words, in the long run, these provisions for Anglo-Catholics will eventually not matter at all. Rome’s provision (Anglicanorum Coetibus) will then become more than a nicety – it will be a necessity.