The House of Bishops will meet next Wednesday to discuss the next step in the legislation to allow women bishops. The response to a con\u00c2\u00adsultation in August suggests that opinion remains polarised.<\/p>\n
The legisation, as it stands, con\u00c2\u00adtains Clause 5(1)(c), inserted by the Bishops before the July sessions of the General Synod in order to cater for traditionalist parishes. It stipulates that the Code of Practice should cover “the selection of male bishops or male priests the exercise of ministry by whom is consistent with the theological convictions as to the consecration or ordination of wo\u00c2\u00admen” of the PCC. The clause was so divisive that a vote on final approval of the legislation was post\u00c2\u00adponed until November…..<\/p>\n
The steering committee proposed seven possible options in relation to the contentious clause…. A total of 120 submissions were received, it was announced on Wednesday. A third (41) were for simply deleting it; just under a third (35) were in favour of retaining it.<\/p>\n