Church of England Synod OKs Ordaining Women as Priests : Acts Against Advice of Runcie; Dioceses to Vote

LONDON —  The Church of England synod voted today in favor of women becoming priests in a historic decision taken against the advice of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert A. K. Runcie.

The decision by the synod to pass church legislation allowing the ordination of women is the first major hurdle the new law must pass in a process that could take up to four years.

Runcie, while personally in favor of allowing women to become priests, told the synod he feared such a move would cause a serious split in the Church of England.

After four hours of tense debate at Church House in Westminster, the synod’s three houses of bishops, clergy and laity all voted in favor of women becoming priests.

Deep Rifts Develop

The bishops voted 28 to 21 in favor, the clergy 137 to 102 and the laity 134 to 93.

The issue, first debated 37 years ago, has caused deep rifts within the church over the last few years.

Opponents of female ordination have warned of an exodus to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches where male priesthood is not seriously challenged.

Today’s vote was seen as a snub to Runcie.

On Monday the archbishop said arguments against the ordination of women were unconvincing. But in a 10-minute speech before today’s vote he said he did not believe there was enough consensus over the legislation for it to “achieve a development which will signal a greater unity and mission and service to our people.”

Two-Thirds Majority Needed

The new legislation will now be discussed by church dioceses. It needs the approval of a majority of the 44 diocesan synods before being returned to the synod in 1992 when it will need a two thirds majority --much greater than it received today.

The Bishop of London, Dr. Graham Leonard, one of the synod’s staunchest opponents of female ordination, has said he based his case on the fact that when God became incarnate as Christ, he chose to become a man.

Proponents of female ordination argued the Anglican communion was in danger of being left behind by its sister churches in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Hong Kong and other countries where there are already 700 female priests.

‘Important Breakthrough’

A spokeswoman for the Movement for the Ordination of Women described the vote as a “very important breakthrough.”

“People have said they did not think the time was right to discuss this issue, but there is no way we can get the feeling of the church without taking it to the parishes,” she said.

The Church of England has drawn up plans to pay $50,000 compensation to traditionalist clergymen who choose to leave the church rather than work alongside women priests.

Female ordination and cash payments to clergymen are expected to be among the most contentious issues discussed at the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church held every 10 years and starting in Britain later this month.