Clergy in threat over women bishops

Some clergy members have expressed their opposition to women bishops Clergy members have written to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to say they will leave the Church of England if women bishops are ordained. The 1,300 clergy, who include several bishops, also want to have exemption from serving under them. The letter comes ahead of a series of critical debates on the issue at the Church's ruling synod. It follows a letter backed by more than 2,000 clergy rejecting special measures for opponents of women bishops. The church has already agreed in principle to appoint women as bishops, but must now decide whether to provide exemptions to clergy who claim their religious convictions prevent them from accepting the authority of a woman bishop. BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says the letter from... [read full story]