the House went on to consider issues arising from its current all male membership. It decided that until such time as there are six female members of the House, following the admission of women to the episcopate, a number of senior women clergy should be given the right to attend and speak at meetings of the House as participant observers. The intention is that eight members would be elected regionally from within bishops’ senior staff teams (that include deans, archdeacons and others). ….
Why not just give themselves red robes and hold themselves out to be cardinals? Better yet, make the senior women the cardinals so that the bishops are outranked to begin with!
dwstroudmd+, this is one of the [i]Meanest Comments[/i] I’ve seen in a long time.
Hopefully the elves will swiftly deal with such a divisive and hateful comment.
“The intention is that eight members would be elected regionally from within bishops’ senior staff teams”
Bit rough on the long-suffering wives when they take their personal assistants off for the weekend.
House of Bishops to be renamed house of old women – no change there then.
[Comment deleted by Elf]
Sarah, it seems that I’m the divisive one? 🙂
Oof, Pageantmaster. Although I must say they are working at making it so few people can respect them.
Since I’ve received no explanation from the perfidious Elf who deleted me, let me reiterate. The headline (as Kendall+ frequently points out) is not that in the original. Further, it’s hardly ignoring General Synod to admit observers. What would be a betrayal would be to proceed with the consecration of women as bishops forthwith (which in theory the House of Bishops could do).
Certainly the House of Bishops doesn’t emerge with much credit from the present furor (my parish in Sheffield is finding it well nigh impossible to recruit a new priest given the prevailing climate), but what is reported in the press release is not what the headline implies.