Monday, October 25, 2010

Anglicanism Exodus over women bishops: what will Rowan Williams do next?

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the problem is not whether or not to have women bishops, but what to do with those Anglicans who disapprove but don't want to leave the church.

The UK"S Guardian reports:
It is worth pointing out the sky has not fallen in because of the departure of more than 500 clergy since the 1990s, when women entered the priesthood, receiving payouts totalling £27.4m. Some of them even returned to the fold. In 2008, around 1,300 clergy threatened to leave if the general synod removed legal obstacles barring the ordination of women as bishops. Earlier this year, one traditionalist estimated the figure would be around 200.

This time, however, there is no financial compensation for exiting clergy and Catholic pensions and stipends are far less generous than Anglican ones. Nobody knows how the new enclave will work or what it will offer in terms of housing. There could also be protracted disputes over property ownership. Unsurprisingly, given the levels of uncertainty surrounding the Vatican offer, the number of serving clergy who have thus far announced their intention to convert is two.

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