London, England, Aug 2, 2010 / 22:20 pm
Fifteen Anglican bishops have acknowledged that many Anglicans will convert to Roman Catholicism because of current proposals to ordain women as bishops. Granting that the Anglo-Catholic tradition will not have room to grow under the proposals, they nonetheless urged “traditionalist” priests and deacons to continue their opposition.
The prelates responded to an open letter from over 1,000 Church of England priests and deacons who oppose new changes that would allow the ordination of women as bishops without concessions for those who reject the practice as inconsistent with the Christian tradition.
“These are grave times in the Church of England especially for those of us unable in good conscience to accept that any particular church has the authority to admit women to the episcopate,” the fifteen Anglican bishops’ July 27 letter began.
The bishops acknowledged that some Anglo-Catholics, including some bishops, are considering joining the Ordinariate established by Pope Benedict XVI for former Anglicans. Others will individually convert to Roman Catholicism.