Church of England to Debate Issue of Priesthood for Women

The Church of England opened a policy-making synod Friday that will debate the thorny issue of whether women should be ordained as priests, including a proposal that the church be split in two if they are.

The state church maintains an all-male priesthood despite a campaign to admit women in the Anglican movement worldwide and the ordination of 750 female priests abroad, most of them in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

On Saturday, the summer general synod of 574 bishops, clergy and laity in this northern cathedral city is to debate a motion to allow women priests from other countries to conduct services in England.

Two Divisions Proposed

On Tuesday, it will take up a proposal to separate the church into two divisions if women are allowed to become priests, one for those in favor and the other for those opposed.

That solution comes from a group led by law professor David McClean, who says ordaining women would result in resignations of male priests, rejection of a bishop’s authority in some parishes and even separation of church and state.

Margaret Webster, executive secretary of the Movement for the Ordination of Women, which claims 3,500 dues-paying members in all the church’s 43 dioceses, said in an interview:

“I think McClean is being ludicrous. The practicalities of splitting the church are impossible and that’s not the way the Church of England functions. The Church of England has a propensity for living together and working through problems.”

Decision Delayed

The general synod has decided previously that there are no fundamental theological objections to women becoming priests, but has delayed a decision on ordaining them.

Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie has said he approves of ordaining women but cannot recommend it yet because the church must be kept together. He is spiritual head of the church and the 70 million Anglicans worldwide, including Episcopalians in the United States.