DAILY NEWS

GB – Women voted down the women bishops proposals

Dire warnings of a parliamentary reaction.

Analysis of the voting at the C of E General Synod has shown that there was a majority of women voting against the proposal for women bishops which was a major influence on the outcome.

Half of women bishops opponents in Synod were women
Telegraph.co.uk – According to a list provided by the Church of England, 33 of the 74 members of the House of Laity who rejected the plan to open the episcopate to women were female. Women’s campaigners rounded on them calling their stance “ridiculous” arguing that …
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9703820/Half-of-women-bishops-opponents-in-Synod-were-women.html

Almost half the lay members who voted against female bishops were women
The Guardian – Almost half of the lay people who voted against legislation to allow female bishops in the Church of England were women, according to figures released on Monday, as senior members of the church were urged to speed up reform or risk consigning it to …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/26/church-radical-strategy-female-bishops-memo

Parliamentary intervention to make anti-discriminatory legislation binding on the Church. This has caused one of the most senior administrators in the C of E to issue a briefing to bishops which contains dire warnings about the possible reaction to the vote.

Church of England ‘faces crisis’ over bishops
BreakingNews.ie – The Church of England is facing a “major constitutional crisis” following the defeat of legislation to introduce the first women bishops, according to an internal document written by one of its most senior staff. Steps must be taken by July next year …
http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/church-of-england-faces-crisis-over-bishops-575624.html

Why are non-Anglicans sticking their noses in the women bishops affair? It’s …
Telegraph.co.uk (blog) — The Enthronement of the Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner as the 103rd Bishop of Chichester. The Church of England is facing a “major constitutional crisis”, The Times reports today, unless it votes in women bishops by July next year.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100191399/why-are-non-anglicans-sticking-their-noses-in-the-women-bishops-affair-its-none-of-our-business/

Another line is that the vote would make it easier for the government to enact gay marriage proposals. However, the Daily Mail revealed at the weekend that a substantial number of Tory MPs had informed their constituents that they were not in favour of this legislation. More anon.