LONDON – The Church of England ended one of its longest and most divisive disputes Monday with an overwhelming vote in favor of allowing women to become bishops.
The church's national assembly, known as the General Synod, voted for the historic measure, reaching the required two-thirds majority in each of its three different houses. In total, 351 members of the three houses approved of the move. Only 72 voted against and 10 abstained.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the long-awaited change marks the completion of a process that started more than 20 years ago with the ordination of women as priests. He called for tolerance and love for those traditionalists who disagree with the decision.
"As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of whose within the church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow," he said in a statement.
Stupidity like this isn't the main reason I walked away from Anglicanism. But it was a consideration. The fact is that being an orthodox, traditionalist Anglican increasingly puts you at odds with what's left of Anglicanism worldwide.
When all's said and done, this decision accomplishes three things. First, it codifies what's long been unofficial practice in the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church USA "ordained" a female presiding archbishop back in 2006 or so. And they did it with absolute impunity because they knew that the Archbishop of Canterbury wouldn't lift a finger to stop them.
Speaking of the Archbishop, you really have to admire the strength of his convictions. Only after YEARS of conservatives abandoning the "church" in droves while the liberals shriek ever louder for female "clergy" does he express support for their cause. He should be a politician.
Secondly, it further alienates whatever traditionalists are still left in their "communion". I'd predict that the worldwide Anglican Communion might rupture over this, except they already ruptured over homosexuals being "ordained" as priests and bishops back in 2009.
But third, it might give those same traditionalists the final push they need to leave their pathetic excuse of a communion behind and come home to Rome. The infrastructure for doing so has existed for years now. So maybe there's some Anglo-Catholic parish or maybe even an entire diocese that's got nowhere left to go except Rome.
Speaking of which, I truly hope I never hear some Episcopalian wingnut wish for reunification with Rome.
Once again, the Catholic Church will absorb the faithful while the Anglican Communion loses more of the few people actually willing to actually tithe and do yucky stuff like feed the homeless and whatnot.
If this was a war, Rome would win by attrition.
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