The power of the British Prime Minister in the appointment of the bishops of the Church of England may be reduced if the parliament approves a law modification supported by Gordon Brown. The Church established by Henry VIII in the XVI century, headed by the British sovereign, was born depending on the political power controlling the choice of its bishops. According to the current procedure, the "Crown Nominations Commission", the Commission which has the task of choosing bishops, submits two names to the prime minister, who may approve them and recommend them both to the Queen. However, the prime minister may also reject them, asking the Commission to choose another two. In accordance with the new bill, just one name will be submitted by the Commission to the premier, who will limit himself to giving his consent and to communicate the name of the candidate to the Queen, and the Queen will finally approve the choice. The bishops will also be able to choose the archpriests of several cathedrals, instead of approving the names suggested by the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury.” “The new procedure is welcomed by the "Church of England", which talks about "evolution instead of revolution". "I welcome the prospect of the Church being the decisive voice in the appointment of bishops", declared the Anglican Archbishop of York, John Sentamu.” ” ” “
