More than 1,000 influential Church of England members have urged a vote in
favour of women bishops ahead of this week's General Synod.
The group, including bishops, clergy and senior laity, have signed an open
letter backing what would be a historic move at the meeting in London.
In their letter, the group argues: ''Just as the Churches have repented of our
historic anti-Semitism and endorsement of slavery, so we believe that we
must now show clearly that we no longer believe women to be inferior to
men.''
The letter, published in The Independent today, was backed by hundreds of church leaders, including five Bishops, ordinary members of the clergy and senior lay figures.
The Church's national assembly will begin a key three-day meeting today where members will be asked to give final approval to legislation introducing women bishops.
The 470-strong body, meeting in Church House, London, will vote tomorrow on whether to allow the legislation to clear its final hurdle before going to the Houses of Parliament for approval.
The decision is billed as the biggest the General Synod has taken in the 20
years since it first backed the introduction of women priests.
The Daily Telegraph disclosed that the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury was preparing a personal plea to traditionalists in the Church to "go forward" with the idea of women bishops in an attempt to end years of wrangling over the issue.
In what could be one of the most decisive interventions of his leadership – even before he takes over as Archbishop – the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, will urge doubters to back the measure in the name of unity.
The vote at a special session of the Church's will be the first test of his authority as chosen successor to Dr Rowan Williams.
Although there is overwhelming support in the Church for women in the episcopate, the vote is expected to be on a knife – edge because it would take only a small number to deny the measure the two thirds majority it needs in all three parts of the Synod.
But Bishop Welby's vocal endorsement of women bishops last week, moments after being announced as the next Archbishop, is being seen as a potential "game – changer".
He is understood to have spent much of the weekend drafting his speech.
It is thought it will strike a balance between saying that it is time for the Church to move on, and assuring those with theological objections to women bishops that there will be proper "provision" for them.
Coming from the evangelical wing of the Church, while also an enthusiast for Roman Catholic forms of worship, Bishop Welby is respected within the very circles where theological doubts about women in leadership are strongest.
He said last week that he would "value and learn" from those who could not support his stance.
Meanwhile, Susie Leafe, from Truro diocese, is a member of the General Synod, writes in The Times that the argument "can be boiled down to one word: equality".
She added: "And it is because I believe in equality that I am against women becoming bishops. I consider myself to be a radical feminist. It is not the feminism of my grandmother, who was a doctor in the 1930s, nor that of my mother; it is the radical feminism of my generation. But my idea of equality is very different from the conventional, secular version."
Despite women comprising up to a third of all clergy – and just under half of those training for ordination – the Church has struggled with legislation introducing women bishops which is accepted by both traditionalists and pro-women campaigners.
Complex negotiations have centred on the arrangements where a woman bishop is appointed but traditionalist parishes reject her authority.
Under the draft legislation before the General Synod, a woman bishop would delegate to a stand-in male bishop to minister to an objector parish by reference to a code of practice.
The legislation has been backed by 42 out of the 44 Church of England dioceses but needs a two-thirds majority in all three houses of the General Synod – of bishops, clergy and laity – to gain final approval.
Commentators have said they believe it will clear the houses of bishops and clergy with the necessary two-thirds majority but the outcome among lay members of the General Synod is thought to be on a ''knife-edge''.
If approval is given tomorrow, the legislation will go to the Houses of Parliament before receiving Royal Assent, paving the way for the first women bishops in 2014.
Other topics to be debated by the General Synod include the living wage and youth unemployment.
Members will also bid farewell to Dr Williams, who leaves after a decade in the post at the end of this year to become Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
The Daily Telegraph disclosed that the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury was preparing a personal plea to traditionalists in the Church to "go forward" with the idea of women bishops in an attempt to end years of wrangling over the issue.
In what could be one of the most decisive interventions of his leadership – even before he takes over as Archbishop – the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, will urge doubters to back the measure in the name of unity.
The vote at a special session of the Church's will be the first test of his authority as chosen successor to Dr Rowan Williams.
Although there is overwhelming support in the Church for women in the episcopate, the vote is expected to be on a knife – edge because it would take only a small number to deny the measure the two thirds majority it needs in all three parts of the Synod.
But Bishop Welby's vocal endorsement of women bishops last week, moments after being announced as the next Archbishop, is being seen as a potential "game – changer".
He is understood to have spent much of the weekend drafting his speech.
It is thought it will strike a balance between saying that it is time for the Church to move on, and assuring those with theological objections to women bishops that there will be proper "provision" for them.
Coming from the evangelical wing of the Church, while also an enthusiast for Roman Catholic forms of worship, Bishop Welby is respected within the very circles where theological doubts about women in leadership are strongest.
He said last week that he would "value and learn" from those who could not support his stance.
Meanwhile, Susie Leafe, from Truro diocese, is a member of the General Synod, writes in The Times that the argument "can be boiled down to one word: equality".
She added: "And it is because I believe in equality that I am against women becoming bishops. I consider myself to be a radical feminist. It is not the feminism of my grandmother, who was a doctor in the 1930s, nor that of my mother; it is the radical feminism of my generation. But my idea of equality is very different from the conventional, secular version."
Despite women comprising up to a third of all clergy – and just under half of those training for ordination – the Church has struggled with legislation introducing women bishops which is accepted by both traditionalists and pro-women campaigners.
Complex negotiations have centred on the arrangements where a woman bishop is appointed but traditionalist parishes reject her authority.
Under the draft legislation before the General Synod, a woman bishop would delegate to a stand-in male bishop to minister to an objector parish by reference to a code of practice.
The legislation has been backed by 42 out of the 44 Church of England dioceses but needs a two-thirds majority in all three houses of the General Synod – of bishops, clergy and laity – to gain final approval.
Commentators have said they believe it will clear the houses of bishops and clergy with the necessary two-thirds majority but the outcome among lay members of the General Synod is thought to be on a ''knife-edge''.
If approval is given tomorrow, the legislation will go to the Houses of Parliament before receiving Royal Assent, paving the way for the first women bishops in 2014.
Other topics to be debated by the General Synod include the living wage and youth unemployment.
Members will also bid farewell to Dr Williams, who leaves after a decade in the post at the end of this year to become Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.