You will know the results of the debate and vote on the admission of women to the episcopate which took place at the General Synod meeting in York last Monday. Those who are, for theological reasons, opposed to the ordination of women as priests and bishops have consistently asked for the creation of a structure in the Church within which we could worship with integrity and our parishes would be able to flourish. Despite strong support from both the Archbishops of Canterbury and York this has been resolutely denied. The Synod voted to move forward with legislation to allow women to be consecrated to the episcopate with a ”˜Code of Practice’ to deal with those who cannot accept this break with 2000 years of tradition. We have always said that such a code would not provide us with what we need. It could not provide a framework for any long term future where congregations could gather round a bishop whose orders were assured nor one within which we could encourage men to hear God’s call to priestly ministry. It would simply allow us to avail ourselves of a male bishop when he was needed for a liturgical celebration and would be little more than a form of pastoral care until our understanding of Holy Orders had died out or been forced out of the Church. The present Act of Synod will be rescinded together with the opportunity of passing resolutions A and B. In short it would no longer be legitimate to hold the view that women cannot be priests and bishops in the Church of England. Strangely it will continue to be a Church where you can dissent from articles of the Creed. I could not serve as a bishop in such a Church with any integrity.
[blockquote] It would simply allow us to avail ourselves of a male bishop when he was needed for a liturgical celebration and would be little more than a form of pastoral care until our understanding of Holy Orders had died out or been forced out of the Church. [/blockquote]
Ouch. Substitute “orthodox” for male, and you have DEPO in TEC. A temporary arrangement until the extinction of inconvenient people.
[blockquote]In short it would no longer be legitimate to hold the view that women cannot be priests and bishops in the Church of England. Strangely it will continue to be a Church where you can dissent from articles of the Creed.[/blockquote]
What more needs to be said? Any denomination that puts structure and legislation over doctrine is doomed.
The bishop writes these terribly sad words: Strangely it will continue to be a Church where you can dissent from articles of the Creed. I could not serve as a bishop in such a Church with any integrity.
He at least sees the issue clearly -unlike those who claim they are “orthodox” but sit calmly on the deck as the ship sinks ever more under the sea of heresy and apostasy, all the while muttering we can turn this ship around.
[blockquote] We should, therefore, not do anything rash.[/blockquote]
I stopped reading there.
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]