It will be Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth who will inaugurate the 8th General Synod of the Church of England on Thursday 15 November. The inauguration will be preceded by a eucharistic ceremony officiated by the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and for the first time a woman will preach during the service. She is the Methodist Frances Young. The questions to be addressed during the Synod also include the proposal to ordain women as bishops. Part of the synodal work will in fact be dedicated to the discussion of the question “to give to the members of the Synod says a communiqué of the Church of England the necessary instruments to reflect further on some questions of a theological nature regarding the debate on women bishops”. The Synod will consider the report drawn up by the group headed by the bishop of Guildford that “will explain the options to take forward the decision of the Synod aimed at removing the legal obstacles to the consecration of women bishops, in February 2006”. The Synod will begin its work with a discussion on the campaign against terrorism in the light of the recent attacks in London.
