Jul 7, 2008 10:40 am US/Pacific
Church Of England Votes To Allow Women Bishops
YORK, England (AP) ―
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When it first began ordaining women as priests in 1994, the Church of England provided "flying bishops" to supervise parishes that believed only men could be priests. (File)
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The Church of England's governing body has agreed to allow women to become bishops but wants to work out some way to accommodate those who object to the practice.
The General Synod decided Monday to jettison the tradition of male-only bishops after a lengthy debate on what should be done to work with dissenters, and the body put off a final decision to give time to come up with a code of practice that would try to offer compromises to all sides next year.
When it first began ordaining women as priests in 1994, the Church of England provided "flying bishops" to supervise parishes that believed only men could be priests. Opponents of the ordination of women argue that Jesus entrusted the church to 12 male disciples.
Several other Anglican churches around the world have authorized women to serve as bishops. The U.S. Episcopal Church is led by a woman, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori.
Church of England officials say it is unlikely any woman would be consecrated as a bishop before 2014.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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