The Church of England on Saturday released draft legislation that would open up the way for women to become bishops. It is expected that these new proposals would create great controversy and possibly even division, as most of the provisions accommodating opponents to female bishops were disregarded.
In a 142-page report, the revision committee acknowledged "the fact" that they "have not been able to come up with a set or proposals that everyone now says that they can live with." But the committee went on to state that the conclusions they reached reflect what the majority of them believe to be "both principled and pragmatic."
"The status quo, with women able to minister as priests but not as bishops, no longer accords with the wish of the majority of the Synod," the report states. "But the journey to a new destination remains contested and challenging."
The new draft will be debated at the General Synod in July.
Opponents of female bishops, including some in the review committee, have indicated that if such legislation is approved and adopted, they "will seriously have to consider whether they can continue to hold office within the Church of England, or continue as members of it," says the Christian Post.
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