Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Australian Anglicans Clear Way for Women Bishops

No doubt this story will get the knuckle draggers in the Anglican Communion - think Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola, et al - in another uproar. Now the uppity Australians and women are getting out of line (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070928/lf_afp/australiareligionanglicanwomen):

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia's Anglican Church said Friday women can be appointed bishops for the first time, drawing immediate criticism from conservatives.

Australia's top Anglican, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, called the decision "a significant day in the life" of the church. He said the decision by the Anglican appellate tribunal allowed the consecration of women bishops in dioceses that have adopted 1992 canon law, which includes Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. "This means that whenever there are vacancies in dioceses that have adopted the 1992 canon and whose own diocesan law permits it, a woman can become a diocesan bishop," Aspinall said.
However, Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen, a leading conservative whose Sydney diocese has not adopted the 1992 reforms, expressed disappointment with the decision. "Those who are opposed to this development base their objection on conscientious grounds as a matter of biblical principle," he said.
Jensen obviously forgets that Biblical principle was used in the USA to justify slavery among other discriminatory actions.

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