“Improbable”: that’s how the “Information Service” of the Anglican Communion calls the eventuality of a third province (the other two being Canterbury and York) being formed within the Church of England, due to the possible ordination of a woman bishop in the province. The statement was issued following a meeting that the bishops of the Church of England gathered in the “House of Bishops” had last week. The idea of a third province, with an archbishop independent of the Anglican primate Rowan Williams and with its own bishops and pastors, is contained in a report prepared by a commission chaired by the bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir Ali. This province would accommodate all those Anglicans contrary to the ordination of women bishops. The statement issued following the meeting at the “House of Bishops” also requests that a report containing all the theological questions relating to the ordination of women bishops be presented to the General Synod. The text represents all the positions, including the “extreme” possibility of a schism within the Communion, but this says Anglican spokesman Steve Jenckins remains “improbable”. The General Synod is scheduled from 9 to 13 February. It will discuss whether to accept the primacy of the Pope. A joint report drawn up by the Catholic Church and the Church of England maintains that the Pope ought to be recognised as “universal primate” of Anglicans, so long as he devolves many of his powers to local Bishops and Churches. The role of the Pope has always been one of the crucial problems in the ecumenical dialogue that has been continuing for thirty-five years in the ARCIC interreligious commission between Catholics and Anglicans. It is significant, however, that a part of the church of Canterbury is willing to accept the infallibility of the Church on some questions of doctrine. The central organ of the Anglican Church, which is composed of Bishops, pastors and laypeople, will also take into consideration new employment legislation that would enable pastors to take their own bishops to court if they think they have been unjustifiably sacked or treated badly. Anglican priests hope to overturn a sentence of the Appeal Court of 1997 that maintains that they cannot present suits to labour tribunals because their employer is God. Anglican pastors would like to enjoy the same rights as other workers, except the right to refuse to work on Sundays, and would like absence of leave on a minimum salary for maternity or paternity to form part of canon law. About one thousand Anglican clergy are members of the trades union “Amicus”, according to which pastors are often the victims of abuse by their Bishops. Other issues to be debated at the Synod in February include homosexuality, cohabitation, the new law of the government on political asylum and the liturgy.
