Women priests

In the 1980s, the area of greatest controversy within the Church of England was the hotly debated question of the ordination of women. Although women could already be ordained priests in other Churches of the Anglican Communion, for example, in the American Episcopal Church, a sufficient number of priests and bishops in the Church of England felt so deeply hostile to the idea that its implementation was repeatedly postponed.

The conservatives pointed to the Bible to argue that women were not chosen as Christ's apostles and were subordinate to men. The modernists argued that it just reflected the social conditions of Biblical times, and that equality for all humankind is a fundamental principle of Christianity, and must quality women as much as men for the priesthood.

There was a tension, too, between two practical arguments. One stated that the Church should recognise the functional equality that women had gained in many spheres of life and affirm this equality within the Church. The other pointed out that women priests would cause fundamental doctrinal difficulties in relations with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

In 1992 women fighting for the right to be Anglican priests were celebrating a narrow victory. After a five-and-a-half hour debate, the General Synod passed the controversial legislation by a margin of only two votes.

There were jubilant scenes among supporters outside Church House in Westminster, London, when the decision was announced.

However, traditionalist priests and bishops warned the decision would split the Church, and some threatened to resign over the issue.

One high-profile opponent of women priests, government minister Ann Widdecombe, accused the Church of 'promoting political correctness above the very clear teachings of Scripture", in 1993 Ann Widdecombe became a Roman Catholic. A year later, former Environment Secretary John Gummer also converted in protest at women priests.

The ordination of women in the Church of England began in March 1994. By the year 2000 about 1,700 women were working as Anglican priests. A report in the same year revealed many women priests suffered harassment and nearly half of male clergy refused to take communion from them.

The debate in the Church of England has now moved on to whether women should be allowed to become bishops. So far, only Anglican churches in the USA, Canada and New Zealand have women bishops.

Exercise 1. Give Russian equivalents:

ordination; an ordained priest; to cause fundamental doctrinal difficulties; controversial legislation; a high-profile opponent; Scripture; to suffer harassment

Exercise 2. Find in the text the English equivalents:

апостол, Православная церковь, с перевесом всего в два голоса, расколоть церковь, поменять веру в знак протеста против чего-то, принимать причастие

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What was one of the most controversial issues in the Church of England in the 1980s and the early 1990s?

2. Sum up the arguments of those who supported the ordination of women and of those who opposed it.

3. Since when have women had the right to be ordained priests in the Church of England?

4. What was the reaction of modernists and traditionalists to the decision of the General Synod?

5. Have the opponents of women priests put up with them now that over ten years have passed?

6. Can women become bishops in the Church of England?

TEXT V.