On Wednesday morning, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, said that the proposal as it stood was \u201cpretty historic\u201d saying: \u201cWhile I recognise that it isn\u2019t enough for some people, and it\u2019s also too far for others, to propose prayers of thanksgiving and dedication for same-sex couples is, I think, a huge step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, said on Wednesday that \u201cthere are very worthwhile things in these proposals,\u201d despite having been in favour of more significant change (News, 3 November 2022).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to note that hopes have been high. A lot of people will be disappointed that we\u2019re not able to make greater progress at this time,\u201d Dr Croft told the Church Times.<\/p>\n
He urged people, none the less \u2014 and General Synod members in particular \u2014 to read the explanations for the Bishops\u2019 proposals, to be published on Friday. He said that he was \u201cdisappointed that we are not travelling the whole distance that some of us wanted to travel\u201d. What the Bishops proposed, though, was \u201ca good step forward\u201d, he said. \u201cIt will correct some injustices, and offer a tangible public service that wasn\u2019t available before.\u201d<\/p>\n
One thing Dr Croft noted was that there had been much greater honesty among the bishops. They no longer maintained an illusion of public unity, as in the past, and this contributed to a more open process of discernment.<\/p>\n
The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, wrote on Twitter that, while the media might present the proposal as \u201cbad news\u201d, \u201cin fact, though it does not go as far as some of us would have liked, it is a huge step forward.<\/p>\n