The appointment of women bishops in the Church of England has moved a step closer after an influential group of MPs signalled their approval of the controversial reform. Members of Parliament's Ecclesiastical Committee had previously said the church was not ready for women priests to become bishops, an historic step which has divided Anglicanism for decades.
But this week MPs on the committee, whose approval would be needed before any legislation is passed, said most are now in favour after bishops voted to go ahead with the reforms without any concessions to opponents.
Peter Bottomley, a Conservative MP who sits on the committee, told The Church of England Newspaper: "Essentially everyone knew that when you had the ordination of women as priests that this would lead to the ordination of women bishops after a decent length of pause. Some would say it has now been an indecent length of pause."
Asked whether the committee would now endorse legislation for women bishops, the Worthing West MP said: "My guess is, on balance, we will. Some with enthusiasm and some without."
His comments will dismay traditionalists and could lead to legal action from male priests opposed to the move, as well as a mass exodus of congregations and clergy to the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr Bottomley said: "If they do, it's happened before. I hope people realise that they are changing denomination rather than religion."
He added: "Surely people should be considered on merit. Sex is not merit. Sex is not a qualification or a disqualification."
Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb, who also sits on the committee, said: "I don't speak for the whole committee because it's a very diverse bunch but I would be very much on the 'get on with it' end of the scale."
In 1992 the Ecclesiastical Committee insisted that provisions must be made for those opposed to women bishops.
A report published earlier this month by the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, also suggested making concessions to those opposed to the move.
It put forward the idea of creating new dioceses based on gender rather than geography, which would only be open to men.
But at a meeting last week, bishops voted to bring in women bishops without any such provision for traditionalists.
Fr Geoffrey Kirk, of the Anglo-Catholic movement Forward in Faith, said disillusioned members of the Church could take legal action unless their views are taken into account.
"It would not be unreasonable for a clergyman ordained on 1993, when the assurances were effective, to do this," he said.
"It would be shameful for the House of Bishops which promulgated the Manchester Statement to go back on those promises. It would be fraudulent."
Christina Rees, director of the pro-women group WATCH, said: "I am delighted the bishops want to go ahead along the lines of the first approach which is the simplest arrangement."
The decision of the House of Bishops to go ahead with legislation to create women bishops will now lead to a crucial vote on the divisive issue at the General Synod, the Church's "parliament", in July.
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