Updated again 7.00 pm
BBC
St Paul’s chancellor Canon Dr Giles Fraser ‘to resign’ headlined now changed after write-through: St Paul’s protest: Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser quits
St Paul’s Cathedral ‘may reopen’ despite protest camp
Independent
Paul Cahalan, Jerome Taylor St Paul’s tries to heal rifts and offers to open its doors
Mark Donne A chauffeur-driven bishop, and a Church that refuses sanctuary
Leading article: More right than wrong in the precincts of St Paul’s
Tweet from @giles_fraser: It is with great regret and sadness that I have handed in my notice at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Statement from St Paul’s Cathedral: Canon Giles Fraser to step down.
27 October 2011
The Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser, Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, has resigned from his post.
Canon Fraser, a former Vicar of Putney who took up his post in June 2009, informed the Dean and Chapter colleagues of his decision today.
The Dean of St Paul’s, The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, said today: “Giles has brought a unique contribution to the life and ministry of St Paul’s and we will be very sorry to see him go. He has developed the work of the St Paul’s Institute and has raised the profile of our work in the City. We are obviously disappointed that he is not able to continue to his work with Chapter during these challenging days. We will miss his humour and humanity and wish Giles and his family every good wish into the future.”
The post of Canon Chancellor is a Crown appointment. The process to appoint Canon Fraser’s successor will begin shortly.
Guardian St Paul’s Cathedral canon resigns by Shiv Malik and Riazat Butt
…In a short statement to the Guardian, Fraser, who was appointed canon in May 2009, confirmed his resignation, saying: “I resigned because I believe that the chapter has set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church.”
Statement by the Bishop of London: Giles Fraser: a statement from the Bishop of London
27/10/11
A statement by the Bishop of London on the resignation of Giles Fraser.
“I heard, with regret, the news of Giles Fraser’s resignation from the Chapter of St Paul’s this morning and I have now contacted him. His is an important voice in the Church and I have offered to meet him immediately to discuss how we can ensure it continues to be heard.”
Statement by Occupy London: Statement regarding resignation of Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser
Guardian Stephen Bates Giles Fraser: St Paul’s jeans and T-shirt wearing cleric
Telegraph
Victoria Ward, and Sarah Rainey St Paul’s Cathedral to reopen as City moves to evict protest camp
Sarah Rainey Dr Giles Fraser resigns from St Paul’s
Sarah Rainey and Victoria Ward Dr Giles Fraser resigns from St Paul’s over ‘violence in the name of the Church’
Evening Standard Tom Harper and Peter Dominiczak St Paul’s Canon blasts church over ‘violent treatment’ of tent protesters
…The Bishop of London said he will meet the protesters on Sunday to invite them to a debate inside the cathedral if they agree to leave the camp…
…It is understood Dr Fraser is not alone in his view among senior colleagues at St Paul’s that enforced removal of demonstrators would be a disaster for the Church.
Dr Fraser quit as the Dean of St Paul’s admitted the crisis engulfing the cathedral was “its most difficult times since the Second World War”.
Church Times Ed Thornton St Paul’s row: Giles Fraser resigns
Guardian Comment is Free Andrew Brown Giles Fraser is never taken in by establishment self-delusion
So much of the church’s energies are taken up in make-believe about its position in society that Fraser is really shocking to anyone used to professional Anglicans.
There was an example of this just this week in the Bishop of London’s statement about the protesters explaining that they could go away now because the grown-ups had taken over: “The St Paul’s Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.”
Never mind that the St Paul’s Institute was run by Giles Fraser, who the bishop must have known was about to resign. There is one huge shrieking question about a press release like that: who is it meant to fool? Does anyone really think that the City takes more notice of a bishop than of a genuine popular demonstration? Does anyone in the wider world think that the bishop’s words count for as much as the protesters’ acts, or that they mean anything at all?
Evening Standard Common sense wins with reopening of St Paul’s Dr Richard Chartres, The Bishop of London
It is easy to be cynical about health and safety but it would be naive of the Dean and Chapter, in charge of a tourist attraction visited by thousands each week, to ignore the attached public liability responsibilities.
It is much easier for those looking on to cry, “Ignore the lawyers”, let alone the insurers and the myriad appointed experts who invariably have a “worst case scenario” outlook.
The fact remains that it was unavoidable for the Cathedral to close last week but the Dean, Chapter and staff should be commended for working tirelessly since then to find a way of reopening – and indeed the protesters for readily complying.
Yet it is symptomatic of what the scene outside has become that so much attention remains focused upon what represents a “trip and slip” hazard, a flammable substance or a safe tent configuration.
The debate has also been about whether it is capitalist to own an iPad or buy a Starbucks coffee, or whether a protester should take a break at night.
The Church’s own role in this has now inevitably come under scrutiny. Calls for the camp to disband peacefully have been deliberately interpreted as taking the side of Mammon, which is simply not the case.
The original purpose of the protests, to shine a light on issues such as corporate greed and executive pay, has been all but extinguished – yet these are issues that the St Paul’s Institute has taken to heart and has been engaged in examining.
The time has come to change the setting. Now that St Paul’s can function again, albeit on a limited basis, the cathedral wants to help recapture the serious issues.
If the protesters will disband peacefully, I will join the Dean and Chapter in organising a St Paul’s Institute debate on the real issues here under the Dome.
We will convene a panel from across the political and business spectrum and will invite the protesters to be represented.
The Dean and I will be available on Sunday morning, outside St Paul’s, to listen and engage. Our message will be simple: pack up your tents voluntarily and let us make you heard.
Guardian Riazat Butt Bishop of London offers debate with Occupy protesters if they disband
And another tweet from @giles_fraser: It is completely unfair for people to have a go at my colleagues. They have acted out of principle just as much as I.
Alan Rusbridger Canon of St Paul’s: church cannot answer peaceful protest with violence
BBC
Dr Giles Fraser explains why he resigned from St Paul’s video interview with Robert Pigott
St Paul’s Cathedral Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser in profile
32 CommentsGuardian
Riazat Butt, Sam Jones and James Ball Occupy London protest at St Paul’s faces action from City officials
Riazat Butt, Sam Jones and James Ball St Paul’s Cathedral set to reopen after Occupy London shuffles tents
Patrick Kingsley Occupy London empty tent claims based on ‘rubbish science’
Telegraph
Victoria Ward St Paul’s Cathedral to reopen on Friday despite Occupy London protest camp
Musical flashmob at St Paul’s protest (video)
Press Association
St Paul’s ‘could reopen on Friday’
Legal action mooted over protesters
Press release from St Paul’s Cathedral
Statement from the Dean of St Paul’s (26 October)
1 Comment26 October 2011
The Dean of St Paul’s, The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, said tonight that he was optimistic that St Paul’s Cathedral would be able to reopen to the public on Friday afternoon (28 October) following significant changes to the layout of those dwelling in tents outside of the Cathedral which was achieved this afternoon.
“The staff team here have been working flat out with the police, fire brigade and health and safety officers to try to ensure that we have confidence in the safety of our worshippers, visitors and staff which will allow us to reopen.” said Dean Knowles this evening.
“We have wide statutory obligations to ensure the safety of our staff, congregation, visitors and pilgrims and final checks will be made tomorrow. A passageway allowing evacuation procedures to be improved has been created; the kitchen providing food for those in the camp has been moved from close proximity to the building; bicycles chained to the railings have been shifted and a clear pathway restored”, said the Dean tonight.
He added: “We have alternative arrangements in place to safeguard the evacuation of the crypt and floor areas but, for the time being, the galleries and dome will remained closed. Our continued dialogue with the fire brigade, police, and our own fire safety advisors has been encouraging.”
Dean Knowles said that the Chapter would reach a final decision tomorrow on the re-opening: “We will revisit the risk assessment in the light of any overnight developments and subject to us getting the green light we hope to reopen in time for the 1230 Eucharist on Friday to which everyone is welcome.”
On the question of the future of the campsite, the Dean explained: “We reiterate our basic belief in the right to protest as well as requesting that those people living in the tents now leave the site peacefully.”
He added: “We want the site to be fully open to members of the public to have open access over the area as well as for those wanting to visit St. Paul’s. The mission of the cathedral is committed to the Christian Gospel message of justice, dignity and peace. The debate about social justice and economic policy will remain at the heart of the work of the St Paul’s Institute.”
As regards any other action the Dean said “We have been and continue to take legal advice on a range of options including court action. Chapter very much hopes that we will achieve a peaceful solution.”
David Allen Green has published a detailed and lucid analysis of the situation at the New Statesman.
Read it in full at Closing the doors at St Paul’s Cathedral.
How seriously is the Cathedral taking health and safety concerns?
…The worrying refusal by the Cathedral to share the details of its supposed health and safety concerns with the protesters after Wednesday would seem to undermine the sincerity of its reliance on those concerns to close the Cathedral. Whatever one’s views as to the merits of the protesters, there can be no good reason for these details not to be shared, especially as it is claimed that the health and safety concerns are so serious as to mean that the Cathedral should be closed down completely.
This is a particularly depressing notion, given the Dean said expressly that the decision was taken “because of the legal requirements placed upon us by fire, health and safety issues”. So I asked the Cathedral for a full description of these health and safety issues, and this list was provided in response:
- Presence of unknown quantities of flammable liquids.
- Smoking/drinking within the tented areas.
- Potential gas safety within the catering facility.
- Compromised free fire exits, usually open now closed but manned.
- Slips, trips and falls exacerbated at night with cover of darkness.
- Due to the darkness issues on North side, use of naked flame lighting.
- Sleeping risk within the tented area, if fire should break out.
- Public heath issues
a Sanitation
b Food hygiene
c Rodent/pest issue- The issues of rope/guy-lines attached to trees, bollards, lamp standards possibly causing injury to face/neck/upper limbs and trips on low level guy-lines.
- VIP security due to camp protest.
- All of the above are representative of the possible injury to life and limb.
This prompts an obvious question, and so I asked the Cathedral what it was actually doing now to manage these risks, other than closing the Cathedral. What had it done since the closure, if it thought these risks were serious? But the Cathedral was not able to say.
I asked who compiled this list of issues. The vague response was “health and safety advisers”. Who were these advisers? The Cathedral would not say. What are their qualifications and expertise? The Cathedral would not say. Are they external or internal? The Cathedral would not say…
And there is a great deal more, including a very full response by the protesters. Read it all.
13 CommentsUpdated 1 pm Wednesday
According to Episcopal Cafe Ruth Gledhill and Fay Schlesinger in The Times are reporting [subscription only] that Canon Dr. Giles Fraser will resign if the Cathedral moves to evict Occupy London protesters:
…Dr Giles Fraser, who is responsible for the cathedral’s relations with the financial institutions of the City of London, is understood to be prepared to quit should it take legal action against the 200 tents forming an increasingly permanent-looking settlement on its land.
…. A resignation from Dr Fraser would make him a martyr for the anti-capitalist cause and prove hugely embarrassing to the cathedral and the Church. If the cathedral does not try to oust the protesters, however, it will be forced into the humiliating position of reopening with the tents still in place, or remaining closed for months — putting events such as the Remembrance Day services at risk and losing the cathedral about £16,000 a day in tourist revenue.
Update The BBC reports that Giles Fraser’s resignation threat relates to “use of force” rather than the taking of legal action to remove the protestors.
Telegraph St Paul’s Cathedral protest: Blitz landmark closed because you might trip over guy rope by Victoria Ward, Richard Alleyne and Tim Ross
14 CommentsAt the height of the Blitz, the relentless pounding of London by Luftwaffe bombers forced St Paul’s Cathedral to close its doors for a total of four days.
But today (Weds) health and safety fears about people tripping over tent guy ropes and blocked emergency exits have achieved what Hitler did not, and shut it for a fifth day.
The cathedral has been criticised after it released a full list of the health and safety concerns that has been used as justification for closing it for the longest time in living memory.
Mark Field, Tory MP for Cities of London and Westminster – in which the cathedral sits – said they were “spurious health and safety excuses” and called for them to be ignored.
“There never seemed to be any substance to the health and safety reasons for the closure. It was a nuclear option and it has been a monumental own goal,” he said…
The Guardian newspaper has tonight published an editorial which severely criticises the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s (and by implication the Bishop of London – see previous article).
City and cathedral: The whited sepulchre
The dean and chapter of St Paul’s risk playing the villains in a national pantomime
11 CommentsThe last time St Paul’s Cathedral was so much in the news was the wedding of Charles and Diana: a vast if moth-eaten musical parade which ended very badly when the fairytale wedding turned into a marriage of unfaithful human beings. That helped turn the cathedral into a major tourist attraction, though it did nothing for the Christian message. Now another piece of theatre has swept it up, and with it won a turn on the national stage.
Protesters hoping to “Occupy the London Stock Exchange” were prevented from entering Paternoster Square, a shopping development which had been their original target, and instead have camped, in orderly rows, around the north side of the cathedral and across its main west entrance. This rather messy and absurd situation has handed the dean and chapter of St Paul’s a truly historic opportunity to discredit Christianity in this country. They seem determined to take it. They should think, and stop.
The dean and chapter appear to have decided that health and safety considerations mean they must be rid of the makeshift camp. These grounds are frankly risible. Pretending otherwise compounds the first mistake, which was to shut the cathedral altogether, rather than expose visitors to the sight and smells of a couple of hundred protesters. A cathedral isn’t really there for the tourists, even if it can charge visitors £14.50, as St Paul’s does. It is a place for prayer and worship. The congregations who come for these, the real purposes of the building, should remember that Jesus talked to publicans and tax collectors. He might even have talked to merchant bankers. He would certainly have talked to the protesters camped outside.
Aspects of the protest camp are silly and rather squalid. But it still represents a profound and important moral revulsion which the Church of England needs to take seriously. These aren’t the usual Spartist suspects. The sense that there is something outrageous, unjust and absurd about the world of modern finance has spread across the whole political and religious spectrum. Even Pope Benedict XVI has reinforced his predecessor’s teaching with a demand that the markets of the world be brought under human control. The Church of England needs to be part of this discussion, for its own sake and for the sake of the country. And that is done far more effectively by theatre and by conversation than by lecturing or even preaching. It is no use having clever bishops saying clever things that no one listens to. Here at St Paul’s right now, there is a chance to catch the attention of millions of people who would never listen to a bishop or recognise a Dean without a Torvill.
The protesters aren’t right about everything. A lot of the time they aren’t even coherent enough to be wrong. But the role of the church is to talk with them and to find out how their sense of injustice at the present slump can be refined and educated and brought out into the wider conversation. The cathedral has a chance to take Marx’s taunt about religion being “the heart of a heartless world” and try to make it true, and valuable. It must not fumble this.
If the dean and chapter continue their steps towards evicting they will be playing the villains in a national pantomime. There will be legal battles and, eventually, physical force. At every step, the cathedral authorities will be acting in the service of absurdity and injustice. Yet this is where the logic of their position is leading them. They must see this, and stop. Jesus denounced his Pharisaic enemies as whited sepulchres, or shining tombs; and that is what the steam-cleaned marble frontage of St Paul’s will become if the protesters are evicted to make room for empty pomp: a whited sepulchre, where morality and truth count for nothing against the convenience of the heritage industry.
St Paul’s Cathedral: a statement from the Bishop of London
12 Comments25/10/11
A statement by the Bishop of London on the protest outside St Paul’s Cathedral.
“This demonstration has undoubtedly raised a number of very important questions. The St Paul’s Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.
“Nevertheless, the time has come for the protestors to leave, before the camp’s presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address. The Dean and the Chapter, who are responsible for St Paul’s, have already made it clear that the protest should come to an end and I fully support that view.”
Guardian letters to the editor in Tuesday’s paper: St Paul’s: pulpit, pavement and piety and in Monday’s paper: Conflict and crisis at the cathedral
Telegraph editorial in Tuesday’s paper: A sullied cathedral and news article Richard Alleyne Just 10% of St Paul’s protesters stay overnight
BBC St Paul’s camp: Occupy London is ‘tourist attraction’
ITN St Pauls still closed (video report)
Mail Online St Paul’s may have to cancel Remembrance Sunday service because of ‘Occupy London’ protests
Independent St Paul’s protesters call in their own safety expert and vow to stay put and earlier Peter Popham: A cathedral turns its back on the people
15 CommentsSunday afternoon/Monday morning news reports:
Guardian
Peter Walker Occupy protesters seek explanation over cathedral’s call to move on
Peter Walker and Riazat Butt St Paul’s may seek injunction to move Occupy London activists
20 Comments…With the deadlock seemingly set to continue, St Paul’s and other nearby institutions have consulted lawyers about possible efforts to forcibly evict the protesters. Cathedral staff were due to hold an emergency meeting with fire officers, police and officials from the Corporation of London, which administers the City district, on Monday. A St Paul’s spokesman, the Reverand Rob Marshall, said the impact of the closure would be felt more intensively next week as tourist numbers swell during half-term.
“The penny is dropping,” he said. “Half-term has started and we’ve got hundreds and thousands of visitors from around the world in London. It will soon begin to dawn that the cathedral will not be open for the foreseeable future. It’s such a chunk of a visitor’s itinerary and there will be a momentum that this is a reality. If there is no sign of movement in the early part of the week there will be further negotiations.”
The Corporation of London has not commented publicly since Friday, when it also called on the camp to disband. But the organisation is known to have consulted lawyers about how an eviction might take place, and whether the legal options could even include an emergency injunction to clear the space immediately.
But this is seen as a last resort. Aside from the potential public relations disaster of police officers dragging peaceful protesters from their tents in the shadow of a cathedral, eviction proceedings would most likely take some weeks.
Part of the land housing the camp is owned by St Paul’s, who would need to take action for trespass, while other parts belong to the Corporation, requiring a case under laws relating to obstruction of the highways. The Occupy movement has said it, too, has been taking legal advice, and cannot be expected to leave voluntarily without more information from St Paul’s…
Updated to include following motion
Updated 1 November to correct voting figures for the following motion
Ely diocesan synod debated the women bishops legislation today.
The main motion, in favour of the legislation, was passed in all three houses. Here are the voting figures.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 2 0 0 Clergy 39 6 1 Laity 30 10 2
A following motion, seeking more provision for opponents was defeated with 12 votes in favour, 74 72 against and 6 abstentions. The abstentions included both bishops.
Updated again Friday evening
Ed Thornton reports in the Church Times this morning: Crisis brings crowd to steps of St Paul’s
Update There has been a major update of this story, now headlined Protest means we must shut, says Dean of St Paul’s.
THE Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral appealed this week for cathedral life to “be allowed to operate as normally as possible”, after hundreds of activists, protesting against corporate greed and economic inequality, set up camp in St Paul’s Churchyard…
The Church Times also has editorial comment on the subject: Leader: Cold comfort for protesters.
The statements by the Dean and Chapter can be found here, and earlier here.
Friday afternoon update
Two further statements from the Dean of St Paul’s:
Statement from the Dean of St Paul’s (21 October)
Update Video of this statement here.
…Last night, I met with members of the Chapter to discuss some of these key issues. As the week has gone on, and in a statement we issued earlier this week, we intimated how difficult the situation was becoming.
As a result of that meeting, and reports received today from our independent Health, Safety and Fire officers, I have written an open letter to the protestors this afternoon advising them that we have no lawful alternative but to close St Paul’s Cathedral until further notice. I have here copies of the letter clearly outlining the reasons we have had to take this dramatic course of action which I will ask my colleagues to distribute.
The Health, Safety and Fire officers have pointed out that access to and from the Cathedral is seriously limited. With so many stoves and fires and lots of different types of fuel around, there is a clear fire hazard. Then there is the public health aspect which speaks for itself. The dangers relate not just to Cathedral staff and visitors but are a potential hazard to those encamped themselves.
The decision to close St Paul’s Cathedral is unprecedented in modern times and I have asked the Registrar to implement emergency procedures whereby the building remains closed but fit for purpose until such a time that we can open safely. Our 200 staff and 100 volunteers are also being informed of this decision this afternoon.
I want to say two simple things at this point.1)We have done this with a very heavy heart, but it is simply not possible to fulfil our day to day obligations to worshippers, visitors and pilgrims in current circumstances.
2)That all of the Chapter are at one on this and recognise the complexities of the issues facing us at this time…
Open Letter from the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral
…With a heavy heart I have to tell you that St Paul’s Cathedral has to be closed today until further notice, because of the legal requirements placed upon us by fire, health and safety issues. I know you will appreciate that in taking on the burden of responsibility for the care and well being of people entering our building, we must also be able to ensure everyone’s safety and, according to those who are expert in this regard, we cannot do so at the moment. I wanted to inform you of this necessary decision before I announced it to the Press.
I am therefore appealing to you directly to recognise that a great deal had been achieved by your presence here outside St Paul’s but that, in order that we might re-open the Cathedral as speedily as possible, we ask you to withdraw peacefully. We are concerned about public safety in terms of evacuation and fire hazards and the consequent knock-on effects which this has with regards to visitors…
Guardian Peter Walker and Riazat Butt
Occupy London Stock Exchange protesters asked to leave by cathedral officials
Occupy London Stock Exchange camp refuses to leave despite cathedral plea
31 CommentsUpdate 16 November
Truro diocesan synod debated the women bishops legislation today.
The main motion, in favour of the legislation, was passed in all three houses. Here are the voting figures.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 1 0 0 Clergy 27 3 1 Laity 33 6 1
The following motion asking for more provision for those opposed was “decisively defeated”.
Update The following motion was the standard CEEC motion.
6 CommentsThat this Synod
“Desires that all faithful Anglicans remain and thrive together in the Church of England; and therefore
Calls upon the House of Bishops to bring forward amendments to the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure to ensure that those unable on theological grounds to accept the ministry of women bishops are able to receive episcopal oversight from a bishop with authority (i.e. ordinary jurisdiction) conferred by the Measure rather than by delegation from a Diocesan Bishop.”
Updated Saturday afternoon and evening
Updated Saturday night (including corrections to Blackburn and Norwich figures)
Updated Monday night to add Wakefield following motion
Updated Tuesday to add links to reports on Blackburn and Rochester diocesan websites. In addition the voting figures for clergy and laity in the first following motion at Rochester have been corrected to match the diocesan report.
Seven diocesan synods debated the women bishops legislation today. We will update this article as results become available.
A majority of diocesan synods have now voted in favour of the main motion, and the draft legislation can now return to General Synod.
The main motion, which all synods have to vote on by houses and without amendment, is:
That this Synod approves the proposals embodied in the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) Measure and in draft Amending Canon Number 30.
The usual following motion (the “CEEC motion”) seeks further provision for opponents.
That this Synod
1. Desires that all faithful Anglicans remain and thrive together in the Church of England; and therefore
2. Calls upon the House of Bishops to bring forward amendments to the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure to ensure that those unable, on theological grounds, to accept the ministry of Women Bishops are able to receive episcopal oversight from a Bishop with authority (i.e. ordinary jurisdiction) conferred by the Measure rather than by delegation from a Diocesan Bishop.
1) Blackburn passed the main motion in the houses of clergy and laity (which is what matters)..
For Against Abstentions Bishops 1 3 0 Clergy 36 34 0 Laity 33 30 4
The CEEC following motion was carried: 79 votes for and 55 against.
The diocese has published this report: Diocese Backs Women Bishops Proposals.
2) Carlisle passed the main motion in all three houses.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 1 0 0 Clergy 30 8 0 Laity 45 10 0
The CEEC following motion was defeated.
3) Norwich passed the main motion in all three houses.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 3 0 0 Clergy 33 12 2 Laity 31 11 0
The CEEC following motion was defeated.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 0 1 2 Clergy 21 22 3 Laity 17 24 1
These figures are now correct; the diocesan website originally had an error which has now been corrected.
4) Rochester passed the main motion in all three houses.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 2 0 0 Clergy 36 12 0 Laity 34 11 2
The CEEC following motion was defeated.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 0 0 2 Clergy 10 31 8 Laity 13 32 3
There was a second following motion
This Synod expresses the hope that the House of Bishops will bring forward proposals which will meet the legitimate needs of those opposed in conscience to the ordination of women to the episcopate, so that they may remain fully part of the Church of England
which was defeated.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 1 0 1 Clergy 18 26 5 Laity 20 17 10
The diocese has published a pdf file giving the voting figures both at the diocesan synod (as above) and at deanery synods.
5) St Albans passed the main motion in all three houses.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 3 0 0 Clergy 43 10 0 Laity 52 7 1
The CEEC following motion was defeated.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 0 3 0 Clergy 6 39 3 Laity 5 52 4
6) Wakefield passed the main motion in the houses of clergy and laity (which is what matters).
For Against Abstentions Bishops 1 1 0 Clergy 24 14 0 Laity 23 10 2
The synod debated this following motion:
That this synod requests the general synod to debate a motion in the following form:
That this synod [i.e. the general synod] calls upon the House of Bishops, in exercise of its powers under standing order 60(b), to amend the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) measure in the manner proposed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York at the revision stage for the draft measure.
This was carried in all three houses. These are the voting figures for that motion.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 2 0 0 Clergy 20 19 0 Laity 20 12 1
The diocese has published this report: Wakefield debates women Bishops.
7) Winchester passed the main motion in all three houses.
For Against Abstentions Bishops 2 0 0 Clergy 23 21 2 Laity 37 23 2
The CEEC following motion also passed with 61 votes for, 36 against and 6 abstentions.
A second following motion
The Synod requests the General Synod to amend the draft legislation to provide for the review on a periodic basis, by or on behalf of the General Synod, of its operation having specific regard to its efficacy in removing, as far as possible , within the context of the existing safeguards, the legal distinctions between the Episcopal ministry of women and the Episcopal ministry of men, as soon as possible and for a mechanism to be established for the implementation of the recommendations of each and any such review.
was defeated: 29 votes for, 51 against, and 13 abstentions.
From the diocesan website: Winchester Diocese says ‘yes’ …just!
70 CommentsUpdated to include partial information on the following motions
The London diocesan synod held its debate on the women bishops legislation this evening, and voted against the legislation.
The motion, which all synods have to vote on by houses and without amendment was:
That this Synod approves the proposals embodied in the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) Measure and in draft Amending Canon Number 30.
The voting figures were:
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Clergy | 39 | 41 | 0 |
| Laity | 45 | 37 | 0 |
For this purpose the motion is only carried if both the houses of clergy and laity vote in favour.
The diocese has published this Report from Diocesan Synod.
Two following motions were also considered, and both were rejected. When we receive the exact wording of them we will add that information.
1. Understood to be the CEEC motion voted on in other dioceses
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Clergy | 37 | 38 | 0 |
| Laity | 36 | 39 | 2 |
2. Understood to be a request to reconsider the “Archbishops’ amendment”
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Clergy | 34 | 38 | 1 |
| Laity | 33 | 41 | 2 |
Updated Saturday afternoon to add the Chichester results.
Updated Saturday evening to add the Exeter results.
Updated Sunday to add more details of the Chichester debates (below the fold).
Three more diocesan synods held their debates on the women bishops legislation today.
1) At Lichfield the main motion
That this Synod approves the proposals embodied in the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) Measure and in draft Amending Canon Number 30.
was carried in all three houses. Here are the detailed voting figures.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Clergy | 45 | 13 | 0 |
| Laity | 46 | 18 | 2 |
The usual following motion (text below) was defeated.
That this Synod
1. Desires that all faithful Anglicans remain and thrive together in the Church of England; and therefore
2. Calls upon the House of Bishops to bring forward amendments to the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure to ensure that those unable, on theological grounds, to accept the ministry of Women Bishops are able to receive episcopal oversight from a Bishop with authority (i.e. ordinary jurisdiction) conferred by the Measure rather than by delegation from a Diocesan Bishop.
The diocese has published this: Lichfield Diocese approves draft women bishops’ legislation.
2) At Chichester the main motion (as above) was defeated.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Clergy | 30 | 35 | 0 |
| Laity | 37 | 41 | 0 |
There were two following motions seeking greater provision for opponents. The first (as above) was carried by 80 votes to 52. There was also a motion as at Manchester which was carried by 87 votes to 50.
The diocese has published this: Chichester votes NO.
Alastair Cutting has sent us more details of the Chichester debates as published on the Chalice wesbite; these are copied below the fold.
3) At Exeter the main motion was carried in the houses of clergy and laity (which is what matters for this purpose), although it was defeated in the house of bishops.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 1 | 2 | |
| Clergy | 30 | 18 | |
| Laity | 45 | 16 |
The synod also passed the following motion:
That this synod request the General Synod to debate a motion in the following form:
That this synod:
1. Desires that all faithful Anglicans remain and thrive together in the Church of England and therefore
2. Requests the House of Bishops, in exercise of its powers under Standing Order 60 (b) to amend the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure so as to incorporate the amendments proposed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York at the General Synod group of sessions in July 2010 as follows:
In clause 2 (1) leave out the words ‘way of delegation to’ and after clause 2(1) insert –
(2) The episcopal ministry referred to in subsections (1), (3) and (5) shall be exercisable by virtue of this section and shall not divest the bishop of the diocese of any of his or her functions.
Here are the voting figures.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 3 | 0 | |
| Clergy | 33 | 13 | |
| Laity | 26 | 23 |
The diocese has published this: Women in the Episcopate legislation.
23 CommentsThe Venerable Peter Burrows, Archdeacon of Leeds, is to be the next Suffragan Bishop of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield.
He will be consecrated as a Bishop in York Minster on 2 February, and take up his post shortly afterwards.
0 CommentsUpdated Saturday night to add the Peterborough results.
Two more diocesan synods held their debates on the women bishops legislation today.
1) At Ripon and Leeds the motion
That this Synod approve the proposal embodied in the draft Bishops and Prietsts (Consecreation and Ordination of Women) Measure and in draft Amending Canon No 30.
was carried overwhelmingly in all three houses. Here are the detailed voting figures.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Clergy | 42 | 3 | 0 |
| Laity | 30 | 4 | 2 |
A ‘following’ motion calling for stronger legal provision for alternative male bishops to be set up by statute rather than a code of practice was debated but was defeated by 70 votes to 12.
The diocese has issued this press release: Overwhelming vote for women bishops.
2) At Peterborough the main motion (in favour of the legislation) was carried in all three houses with these voting figures.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Clergy | 37 | 10 | 2 |
| Laity | 30 | 14 | 5 |
The following motion, seeking more provision for opponents, was defeated in all three houses:
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Clergy | 9 | 35 | 3 |
| Laity | 20 | 27 | 2 |
Updated late Saturday [see note at the end]
Updated Monday morning to insert Durham abstentions
Two English diocesan synods held their debates on the women bishops legislation today.
1) At Manchester the main motion
That this Synod approve the proposals embodied in the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) measure and in the draft Amending Canon No30.
was carried in all three houses with these voting figures:
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Clergy | 41 | 13 | 2 |
| Laity | 38 | 26 | 4 |
But this following motion was also carried in all three houses.
That this synod [ie the diocesan synod] request the general synod to debate a motion in the following form:
That this synod [ie the general synod] call upon the House of Bishops, in exercise of its powers under standing order 60(b), to amend the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and ordination of women) measure in the manner proposed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York at the revision stage for the draft measure.
These are the voting figures:
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Clergy | 31 | 21 | 3 |
| Laity | 47 | 20 | 1 |
2) At Durham the main motion was passed in all three houses.
| For | Against | Abstentions | |
| Bishops | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Clergy | 34 | 5 | 1 |
| Laity | 55 | 6 | 0 |
I don’t have any figures for abstentions.
A following motion, seeking greater provision for opponents, was defeated with 16 votes for, 77 against, and 7 abstentions.
3) Note
The procedure for these diocesan synod debates is given in GS Misc 964. In particular I draw attention to this extract from paragraph 6.
48 CommentsAttention is drawn to Rule 34(1)(h) of the Church Representation Rules which provides that if the votes of the houses of clergy and laity are in favour of a matter referred under Article 8, then that matter shall be deemed to have been approved for the purposes of that Article.
Updated again Wednesday evening
The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a day conference at Lambeth Palace entitled ‘Transformations: Theology and Experience of Women’s Ministry’. The conference was intended to allow honest reflection on the lived experience of women as priests. It is now over 17 years since women were first ordained to the priesthood in the Church of England.
See this Church Times report: Meeting heralds new era for episcopacy
THE House of Bishops must be ready for a change of culture now, before the final vote on accepting women into the episcopate, Dr Williams heard on Monday.
A day-long conference was hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace on Monday, after discussions with groups such as Women and the Church (WATCH), and the women Deans, Archdeacons, and Residentiary Canons group (DARC).
The day was reflective and wide-ranging in its discussions, said the Rector of St James’s, Piccadilly, the Revd Lucy Winkett. “People talked about issues like clergy couples and flexible working, and the impact on a priest’s vocation — all issues that have been highlighted by the ordination of women. “But we talked more about what it meant to be a priest in a modern age. There was a general feeling that priesthood has been bureaucratised. “There will be a great culture change for the House of Bishops if women are made bishops, and there was a strong feeling that it would be healthy for more than one woman to be appointed as a bishop at first.”
And this press release from WATCH (Women and the Church):
Press Release Wednesday 22 September 2011
Lambeth Palace Conference: Experience of Women’s Ministry
Transformations: Theology and ExperienceArchbishop Rowan yesterday hosted a day conference at Lambeth Palace entitled ‘Transformations: Theology and Experience of Women’s Ministry’. The conference was intended to allow honest reflection on the lived experience of women as priests. It is now over 17 years since women were first ordained to the priesthood in the Church of England.
Participants from a wide range of experience in the Church of England were invited to discuss a wide range of issues and the conference was attended by two visiting Anglican bishops, The Right Reverend Mary Gray-Reeves, Bishop of El Camino Real, California and The Right Reverend Kay Goldsworthy, Bishop of Perth, Western Australia.
Bishop Mary gave the keynote address in which she spoke about different models of exercising power and her experience of building of good relationships with parishes that did not support the ordination of women. She counselled the conference that dealing with difference by building legal walls divides the Church and prevents healing of differences from happening.
The Reverend Rachel Weir, Chair of WATCH said, ‘The Lambeth day provided much needed space for reflection and for celebration. We look forward to taking the conversations forward and seeing what will emerge in the longer term from this welcomed initiative. We are very grateful to Archbishop Rowan for being so generous with his time’
Tuesday Update
More reports of the conference are now available on the Lambeth Palace site, see Archbishop hosts conference on women’s ministry which includes the full transcripts of:
Audio recordings of each of these can also be downloaded from the top right of the page.
Wednesday update
ENS has published this further article by Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves In England, role of women debate continues.
19 CommentsUpdated again Monday
The Anglican Mission in England has published an article by Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden titled AMIE is a game-changer.
The ordinations of three young Englishmen by the Archbishop of Kenya in June and the launch of the Anglican Mission in England was a “game-changer”. It marked a turning point after four and a half years of discussions with and proposals to Lambeth Palace. These discussions were to seek a way of providing effective Episcopal oversight to those for whom this had become problematic in the Church of England.
The launch of AMIE and the establishment of its panel of bishops indicated that we would no longer play the game of Church of England politics as defined by the Church of England Establishment.
The rules of the Establishment are premised on the fact that they have the luxury of time. They hold all the cards. All they have to do is to sit where they are. Their main tactic is to weaken the orthodox ranks in two ways: by co-opting some of the orthodox into their number and second by suggesting that there is such a significant divergence of views among the orthodox that they have neither coherence nor cohesion…
The first comment on this article has appeared at Episcopal Cafe where Nick Knisely has written Speaking frankly about the Anglican Mission in England.
…Much of this is familiar to people who remember the first moves of the AMIA movement here in the US back in 2000 and the subsequent irregular ordinations of Chuck Murphy and John Rodgers to the episcopate. This latest essay makes clear that the new organization in England is also planning to ignore the rules of the Anglican Communion when they get in the way of their goals.
It will be interesting to see how the arc of this storyline parallels that of the Episcopal Church’s experience with their dissident voices over the last decade.
Lesley Crawley offers AMiE – An explanation
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden (pictured here with Chris on the left) have written on the AMiE web site an extremely schismatic piece, explaining what AMiE (Anglican Mission in England or St Augustine Society) is trying to achieve:
- “It has a different view of being Anglican which embraces a global Anglican identity based on the Bible rather than a technical institutional identity.”
- “It has a different view of episcopacy…”
- “It has a different view of women in ministry…”
- “we will remain Anglican but not on the current terms of the CofE establishment…
So lets get this straight – the Church of England, through General Synod (of which Chris Sugden is a member) has determined its view on episcopacy, women’s ministry and the determination of Anglicanism.
Normally when people belong to an organisation with which they disagree they leave it. But not in this case – why is it that AMIE wish to remain in the Church of England if they have such a low opinion of it?
Colin Coward offers Which game is AMIE playing?
…The astonishing thing in the statement issued by Chris Sugden and Vinay Samuel about AMIE being a game-changer is that God doesn’t get a look-in until paragraph 9, and gets just that one mention – AMIE will follow the calling to mission wherever God leads. Even more astonishing for an organisation that claims the Biblical and theological high ground is that Jesus doesn’t get mentioned at all…
I know this is an audacious proposal, but I’d like to call Chris Sugden and Vinay Samuel back to the reading of the Bible and discover there a complex narrative of humankind’s experience of and relationship with the God who calls and reveals, tenderly, intimately, infinitely in love.
Jonathan Clark offers The Anglican Mission in England
44 Comments…I’m not prone to getting seriously cross, but the tendentious mis-representation of the Church put out by AMiE in their recent statement has brought me close to the brink. It’s not just that they want to set up a church based on the myth of doctrinal purity, nor that they seem to want to do so from within the Church of england, rather than doing the decent thing and leaving. It’s that they have the temerity to claim that they are the true inheritors of Anglican identity.
No-one with any knowledge of history could claim that the Anglican history has been characterised solely by the desire for peace and inclusivity. There have always been plenty of people who wished to purify it of those who were different. But they have never quite succeeded, at least not up till now.The DNA of Anglicanism has been too much wound together with the geography of dioceses and parishes, with the knowledge that we were the church for all the people of the place, if they wished to come to us. That’s what we’re for. We’re a church full of diversity, for a diverse nation. That is the Anglican mission in England – always has been, still is…
The Group for Rescinding the Act of Synod (GRAS) published a report earlier this week: Promises – kept, broken or never made? by Rosalind Rutherford. In their press release GRAS says
A report released today provides an insightful analysis of the promises made to opponents of women’s ordination as priests. As the Church of England moves towards legislating for women bishops, opponents are appealing to promises made in the past they claim have been broken. GRAS, the campaigning group for an end to gender discrimination in the Church of England, published the report which seeks to set the record straight over claims made in the debate around provision for those opposed to women’s ordination as bishops.
The Revd Rosalind Rutherford, Team Vicar in the Basingstoke Team Ministry and author of the report, says,
“My research reveals what was actually proposed and promised when the legislation was debated in General Synod in 1993 and shows that these promises have been kept. I have also identified a case in which commitments made to preserve church unity have been overstepped, in an attempt to create a separate diocese for opponents to women’s ordination.”
The report comes as the Church of England discusses how to implement the 2010 General Synod vote to move towards the ordination of women as Bishops. The legislation is being discussed by representatives across the Church’s 44 dioceses, requiring the approval of a majority of diocesan synods. So far all 15 dioceses who have debated the proposed legislation have voted in favour.
Ed Thornton writes about, and summarises, the report in today’s Church Times: No promises were broken, says GRAS.
26 CommentsA new report published by the Group for Rescinding the Act of Synod (GRAS) says that promises made to opponents of women’s ordination “have not been broken”. Traditionalists should be confident that provisions in the draft legislation for women bishops will be upheld, it argues…