A Blackburn vicar has held a 10-minute silence in protest over the upcoming installation of the Bishop of Burnley.
Changes have been made to the Reverend Philip North’s ceremony because of his opposition to female bishops.
The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said the arrangements were made “for prayer, not politics”.
The Reverend Anne Morris, who serves the same diocese as Rev North, replaced her sermon with the protest over the changes, at St Oswalds in Knuzden.
Ms Morris is correct to see the incongruity. But then, the appointment of women priests in the CofE in the first place was an incongruity with the practice established over 2,000 years that men lead churches.
Even though she doesn’t like to think about it, there are actually three ways this can be dealt with: (i) those who cannot accept the ordination of women leave the church (the only option in Ms Morris’ mind); (ii) those who cannot accept that women not be ordained leave the church (in which case, bye bye Ms Morris); (iii) everyone agrees that both can have their own space within the CofE (this was supposed to be the arrangement when the women priests measure was passed, by just two votes, in 1993).
The bishops of the CofE don’t want the opponents of women’s ordination walking out just yet:
[blockquote] Discussing the issue on BBC Radio Lancashire, the Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Reverend Julian Henderson, said he believed the arrangements were correct.
He said there was “space in the Church of England for different points of view, particularly in relation to the issue of women in leadership”. [/blockquote]