Anglican Synod says no to women priests

Press, 10 November 1978, Page 6

Anglican Synod says no to women priests

> NZPA-Reuter London I i The Church of England; 1 has rejected a plea that it : admit women to the priest I hood, but campaigners in] ilthe cause have vowed to! -jifight on. •j The ruling Synod of the (“Mother Church” of the j world’s 65 million Anglicans ( voted 272 to 246 against a .resolution calling for a • change in the law so as to j!permit women to be or- , dained. J This was despite a plea in II women’s favour by the . ;i Archbishop of Canterbury, ' ■ Dr Donald Coggan. “We asked you for bread, i and you gave us a stone,” i Dr Una Kroll, a campaigner i for women’s ordination, 5 shouted from the gallery ■ when the result of the), (Synod vote was announced. 5 She said later that her | ■ ! movement of more than 300 (i (active members — the'i (Christian Parity Group — ) ! would fight to overturn the 1 decision. > 5 Opponents of the idea of;I Anglican priestesses claimed!‘

| that to ordain women would (jeopardise moves to reunion (with the Roman Catholics. I At the Vatican the vote was welcomed. I Vatican sources thought it might slow down the trend in other Churches of the Anglican Communion towards ordaining women. Women serve as priests in Anglican churches in Canada, Australia, New Zea land. Hong Kong, and north India — and in the United States, where thousands of anti-priestess members of the Episcopal Church broke away in reaction. While those in the Church of England who favour ordaining women vow to continue their campaign, opponents say that Church law forbids the Synod to consider the issue again for five (years. j The resolution favouring I women priests would have (needed separate approval in each of the Synod’s three houses. The House of Bis hops and the House of Laity voted in favour, but the House of the Clergy said, (“No.”