London, England, Nov 24, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Catholic bishops have warned the Church of England against its continued plans to allow women bishops, saying it would “radically impair the relationship between the two large Church bodies."
In July, the Church of England began toward the process to allow women bishops, after bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal at a General Synod. The proposal just managed to secure the two-thirds majority in the House of Laity, which would be needed to conclude the legislation when it comes for its final approval in about seven years.
In an official paper, the Catholic bishops said consecrating women bishops was a “tremendous and intolerable risk” that could cause “irreparable damage” within and outside the Anglican Communion—something other critics have warned as well.
The Catholic bishops said inviting women bishops could mar recent efforts calling for greater unity between the Anglican and Catholic churches as it is completely at odds with the “texts and spirit” past agreements between the two churches.