A Church of England committee has backed away from a concession which would have given traditionalists their own male, rather than female, bishops.It had suggested last month that traditionalists might have their own bishops with full legal authority to operate independently.
Some Anglican clergy opposed to women bishops are considering an offer from Pope Benedict to join the Roman church.
Anglicans who convert could keep many of their traditions, he has said.
They would join a special section that would let them keep aspects of Church of England liturgy.
However, many Anglicans are wavering, because they want to preserve the CofE's historic catholic-Protestant balance.
The committee's abandonment of this concession means that male bishops overseeing traditionalists would, in some cases, only be able to operate at the behest of women bishops.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said that as things stand, the development seems likely to encourage more traditionalists to convert to Catholicism.
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SIC: BBC