Archbishop's unity plea as Church gets closer to ordination of women bishops. The Church of England took a major step towards the ordination of women bishops last night as the Archbishop of Canterbury warned avoiding a split over the issue will be 'desperately difficult'.
Dr Rowan Williams made the stark admission as he issued a desperate plea for unity among warring factions within the church.
Deep divisions were exposed yesterday when draft laws on the ordination of women were passed by the General Synod, the Church's ruling council, in the face of fierce opposition from traditionalists.
Thousands of churchgoers and hundreds of clergy are expected to quit the church after compromise proposals were voted down.
But Dr Williams told members of the Synod in York it was not the 'end of the road' despite the failure to agree exemptions for evangelical and Anglo-Catholic worshippers.
'It's very tempting at times of distress and difficulty, such as we have been through in the last few days, that we should just drop it into the too difficult basket,' he said.
'I don't really think that's an option.'
Changes to the legislation proposed by Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, were voted down by liberals who claimed they would create a 'two tier' church.
The Rev David Houlding, a leading Anglo-Catholic, said the Church was changing 'beyond recognition'.
'There's not a lot of hope left to find a proper place for us in the Church of England - which seems determined to exclude Anglo-Catholics,' he added.
Impasse: Changes proposed by Dr Williams and Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu were voted down, and Rev. David Houlding fears Anglo-Catholics are being squeezed out
Fears of a split intensified yesterday after Dr Sentamu said he 'would not want to be in a Church in which people have the doors shut to them because of certain theological convictions which are strongly held'.
But aides denied this represented a threat to quit the Church which Dr Sentamu said was his 'spiritual home'.
Dr Williams told the General Synod earlier that they had not yet 'cracked' the two goals of introducing women bishops while at the same time showing a 'maximum generosity' towards objectors.
Synod member Christina Rees, a leading campaigner in favour of women bishops, described the passing of the legislation as a ' wonderful outcome'.
But Reverend Rod Thomas, chairman of the conservative evangelical group Reform called for 'decent provision to satisfy and keep everybody in the Church of England'.
In 1994, when the CofE first ordained women priests, around 500 clerics left to join the Roman Catholic church.
If women bishops are appointed, some 1,300 clerics - around one in ten of the CoE's priests - are expected to refuse to accept the authority of women and will quit. ( dailymail.co.uk )
No split: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said the issue of female bishops is difficult, but should not be avoided
Dr Rowan Williams made the stark admission as he issued a desperate plea for unity among warring factions within the church.
Deep divisions were exposed yesterday when draft laws on the ordination of women were passed by the General Synod, the Church's ruling council, in the face of fierce opposition from traditionalists.
Thousands of churchgoers and hundreds of clergy are expected to quit the church after compromise proposals were voted down.
But Dr Williams told members of the Synod in York it was not the 'end of the road' despite the failure to agree exemptions for evangelical and Anglo-Catholic worshippers.
'It's very tempting at times of distress and difficulty, such as we have been through in the last few days, that we should just drop it into the too difficult basket,' he said.
'I don't really think that's an option.'
Changes to the legislation proposed by Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, were voted down by liberals who claimed they would create a 'two tier' church.
The Rev David Houlding, a leading Anglo-Catholic, said the Church was changing 'beyond recognition'.
'There's not a lot of hope left to find a proper place for us in the Church of England - which seems determined to exclude Anglo-Catholics,' he added.
Fears of a split intensified yesterday after Dr Sentamu said he 'would not want to be in a Church in which people have the doors shut to them because of certain theological convictions which are strongly held'.
But aides denied this represented a threat to quit the Church which Dr Sentamu said was his 'spiritual home'.
Dr Williams told the General Synod earlier that they had not yet 'cracked' the two goals of introducing women bishops while at the same time showing a 'maximum generosity' towards objectors.
Synod member Christina Rees, a leading campaigner in favour of women bishops, described the passing of the legislation as a ' wonderful outcome'.
But Reverend Rod Thomas, chairman of the conservative evangelical group Reform called for 'decent provision to satisfy and keep everybody in the Church of England'.
In 1994, when the CofE first ordained women priests, around 500 clerics left to join the Roman Catholic church.
If women bishops are appointed, some 1,300 clerics - around one in ten of the CoE's priests - are expected to refuse to accept the authority of women and will quit. ( dailymail.co.uk )
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