Ending women free zones

(Ed: An uncharitable piece from Giles Fraser, which also suggests the Bishop of Liverpool spoke with 'forked tosh'. I hope he didn't, but see here for his exegetical efforts on homosexuality.)

[...] The debate threw up some unlikely heroes. Foremost among them the Bishop of Liverpool, who has had his troubles of late, chiefly as chair of governors of the Oxford college, Wycliffe Hall that has made the news for sacking most of its staff and going so right wing it has been nicknamed an Anglican madrasa. But his speech steered the women bishops debate to its conclusion. The job description of bishops, he argued, was to feed the body of Christ. And yet, before the body of Christ became a metaphor for the people of God, it was a women that feed Christ’s physical body and looked after him. Here was the Biblical argument for women bishops. Indeed - on this argument - the very first bishop was a woman. It proved the vital speech.

The traditionalists speak a lot about being pushed out. Actually, no one is pushing them out. All sides of the church want them to stay. Which is why the church will draw of a code of practice so that their views - weird as they are - can be accommodated. Some may leave - though far far less than say they might.

But the House of Bishops can stay a boys' club no longer. It's this boys' club mentality that is creating so much hand-wringing: "Fr. so-and-so, we went to college together, great priest, such a shame he is thinking of leaving, having to brush up on his Italian etc". All of which is piled on with a dollop of sentimental tosh dressed up as pastoral care. Synod saw through all this and voted for what is right and just. Alleluia. Read more

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