Church of England renews battle over terms for allowing women to be bishops

Church of England debates allowing women bishops

LONDON — The Church of England’s governing body is opening a five-day meeting dominated by more arguments about allowing women to be bishops.

The General Synod, which begins meeting Friday afternoon, has scheduled 15 hours of debate about provisions for those in the church who refuse to accept women as priests or bishops.

The church began ordaining women to the priesthood in 1994, and five years ago the General Synod voted to start a process to allow women priests to be promoted to bishops.

Opponents of women as bishops want a structure which guarantees that they will be supervised by male bishops. Advocates for women bishops say they should serve on the same basis as men do now, without any restriction on their authority.