Bill to pave way for women bishops
From Ekklesia - 02/03/06
A bill is to be introduced to the House of Commons that would pave the way for the consecration of women bishops in the Church of England. Ekklesia has learned that the Bishops (Consecration of Women) Bill will be introduced in two weeks time by Chris Bryant MP, who was himself ordained, and formerly a curate in the Church of England.
The MP, who is a former chair of the Christian Socialist Movement of which Prime Minister Tony Blair is also a member, is proposing the amendment of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993 which currently makes it unlawful for women to become bishops. Bryant told Ekklesia that the new bill was aimed at the removal of the legal bar on women bishops and could be an important indication of Parliamentary support for a move by the Church of England to allow their consecration.
Bryant has made no secret of his support for women bishops. Speaking in the House of Commons previously Mr Bryant said; "Men and women are equal. They should be equal under the law and, for that matter, in religion. We look forward to women being ordained as bishops and the Church agreeing to that."
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4 comments:
Yes, men and women are equal.
That being said, this law shouldn't exist. It's a law that governs a Government run religion that also shouldn't exist.
The whole thing stinks.
Over here we have no clear cut separation of church and state - bishops sit in the 2nd chamber (The House of Lords) and have a considerable influence on laws. Also (IIRC) bishops are proposed by the Church of England but are approved by the Prime Minister. I'm not sure about the Catholics though...
Actually the history of political/religious rivalry in England is very interesting - I have some books on it that I might get around to reading one day...
Only the C of E has a place in the ruling of England (and the C of S in Scotland etc). The catholics just get to be a recognised religion (not an easy thing in the UK) and have no other specific rules about them, other than the monarch may not be a catholic.
JM said: The catholics just get to be a recognised religion (not an easy thing in the UK) and have no other specific rules about them, other than the monarch may not be a catholic.
Or marry a Catholic IIRC.
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