Women bishops Measure defeated - Church rejects the idea

Am I pleased? Not really. Not at all in fact, because if the Synod had acted fairly to start with we would have had something that both sides could have lived with. Justin Welby was right to link the Middle East with our Anglican problems but he should have realised that a "winner takes all" approach was never going to work.

Now we will get more of the nasty remarks that MPs Tony Baldry, Frank Field, Simon Hughes, Chris Bryant and others, have uttered. All appear viscerally opposed to any form of traditional catholic or evangelical presence in the church of their secularised dreams. They threatened Synod today. Nasty threats they were too. Christian charity has gone today. They should let the dust settle.

For those who truly believe that such a measure is right and proper I have always respected that and will continue to do so. But it is those who want to trample over others that I cannot respect. Just look at what Katharine Schori is doing in the US. Taking her long held hatred of catholic doctrine (she and her parents used to be Roman Catholics) and turning the Episcopal Church inside out until it yields to her version of the faith. South Carolina is just the latest. And they are not the usual High Church "suspects". Just plain, ordinary Episcopalians, who have not signed up 101% to the new doctrines.

It could all be so different. Now we need the reconciling ministry of Justin Welby across the Anglican Communion.

Posted in: women bishops