London, England, Oct 21, 2012 / 16:48 pm
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is trying to persuade members of the Church of England's upcoming General Synod to back the ordination of women as Anglican bishops, putting further strain on the theologically divided Anglican Communion.
In an article published in the Anglican newspaper The Church Times, Archbishop Williams said the church legislation "will shape the future of the Church of England for generations." He contended that a vote against the proposal "risks committing us to a period of continued and perhaps intensified internal conflict with no clearly guaranteed outcome."
The archbishop is trying to push through the measure at the General Synod in November. The synod is the last gathering of Anglican leaders before he leaves office in December 2012 after 10 years as the leading clergyman of the Church of England.
The failure of the legislation would mean it cannot be revisited until the next general synod in 10 years.