A press release from the Church of England announces the full list of names of those who will constitute the Revision Committee for the draft legislation enabling women to become bishops in the Church of England.
Press release: Women in the episcopate draft legislation: Revision Committee announced
We already knew the names of the members of the Steering Committee:
And we already knew the name of the Chair of the Revision Committee:
What is new is the names chosen by the Appointments Committee:
Clearly, a decision has been made at the highest level to try to keep FiF in. I hope it succeeds.
Posted by: john on Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 4:45pm GMTIt looks rather disproportionately weighted towards opponents of women bishops. This I don't understand, I suppose that it means that Baker, Beverley, Killwick and McCleay should in some sense 'own' the legislation that passes through, but I worry that we will end up with the sort of institutionalised schism that they want and many of us fear.
Posted by: Wilf on Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 6:14pm GMTThe Church of England seems intent on creating a sub-species of woman bishop and male clergy ordained by them.
A short term fix, which will only strengthen those who seek to keep their property, endowments and their "theological integrity" and become a Church within a church.
FIF have nowhere to go..yet they can hold the Church of England to ransom!
Well done Rowan..
Women..... wake up and oppose this apartheid solution.
Posted by: Robert Ian Williams on Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 8:50pm GMTHow is it rather disproportionately weighted towards opponents of women bishops Wilf? Are they not in the minority on the committee? And what exactly is it you mean by "fear?" Are we really so fearsome? I think it wonderful that they're actually attempting to make space on the committee for a broad and balanced range of views. Surely that's what the Church of England's always been about in respect of the via media. We might just get something sensible as a result, and a measure that keeps traditionalists on board. All power to their elbow!
Posted by: Bromenblue on Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 11:33pm GMTI wouldn't say 5 opponents out of 19 (and 1 Bishop out of 4) is disproportionately weighted. Seems about right to me.A job well done by the appointments committee (which I believe contains one Christina Rees)
Posted by: Ian on Wednesday, 25 March 2009 at 11:36pm GMT"... make space on the committee for a broad and balanced range of views..."
Broad? Opposed, perhaps.
Balanced? Not at all.
Posted by: Göran Koch-Swahne on Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 7:13am GMT"FIF have nowhere to go..yet they can hold the Church of England to ransom!
Well done Rowan..' Robert I. Williams -
Well, Robert. Now might just be a good time for you to ask 'il Papa' to intervene on behalf of F.i.F. It could be that they might decide to join you by crossing the Tiber, rather than risk being infected by the feminisation of the Bench of Bishops in the C.of E. (I wonder, sometimes Robert which side you are really on: pro or anti women priests and bishops. Please make your mind up and let us know what you've decided. We are all bedazzled by your conflicting loyalties.)
Posted by: Father Ron Smith on Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 9:38am GMTI see Mr Williams is throwing in his usual stirring comments. I am at a loss as to why someone who has converted to Roman Catholicism feels justified in tellling members of the Church he left what they ought to be doing, especially when it stands in direct contradiction to the line of the that Church to which he has converted. What is going on here? Is it just rabble rousing, I wonder?
Posted by: Bromenblue on Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 9:48am GMTYou know where I stand...the "third" province option is the Catholic Church, and I pray every day that Catholic minded Anglicans will find their way home.
Posted by: Robert Ian Williams on Sunday, 29 March 2009 at 8:47pm BSTI am very at home in the Catholic Church - but what has the RC denomination to do with that ?
Posted by: Rev L Roberts on Monday, 30 March 2009 at 11:13pm BST