The Church of England has consecrated its first female bishop during a ceremony at York Minster.The Reverend Libby Lane, 48, has been ordained as the new Bishop of Stockport in front of more than 1,000 people.
The Church formally adopted legislation last November to
allow women bishops, following decades of argument over women’s
ordination.
Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who led the service, said he had been “praying and working for this day”.
During the two-hour service Dr Sentamu and other bishops laid
their hands on Mrs Lane and prayed. This was followed by lengthy
applause.
Writing in today’s Yorkshire Post the archbishop said: “It is high time we had women bishops. I have been praying and working for this day.
“In a few years’ time when more and more women will be
bishops, I predict we shall be wondering how we ever managed without
them.”
However, in an indication that some Anglicans still oppose
women’s ordination, the service was briefly delayed by an opponent of
the changes.
The Rev Paul Williamson stepped forward shouting “not in the
Bible” after the Archbishop of York asked the church if Mrs Lane should
be ordained as a bishop.
The second time Dr Sentamu asked the congregation, there was no opposition and the ceremony continued.
A Church of England spokesman said of Mr Williamson, priest
in charge of a church in Hanworth, Middlesex: “He’s got the right to
protest but the contrast was between a lone voice protesting and a sea
of voices affirming.”
‘Very emotional’
Mrs Lane had said the consecration would be a very “emotional” moment.
She said: “It is a remarkable thing that this happens to me,
and people have been very supportive of me personally, but actually this
is about a moment in the Church’s history.”
Hundreds of people attended the service in York Minster
Speaking after the service her son Benedict said: “We’ve been
building up to it now for a long time and it’s satisfying that it has
finally happened and we are finally here.
“She’s the best person for the job.”
Mrs Lane has been vicar of St Peter’s Hale and St Elizabeth’s Ashley, in Greater Manchester, since April 2007.
Analysis
By Philippa Thomas, BBC News correspondent, in York
At York Minster today I’ve met Anglican women bishops from the
US, New Zealand, South Africa, Iceland, Sweden and Germany delighted to
welcome her to their ranks.
Retired Swedish bishop Christina Odenberg told me it was inevitable England would catch up.
Meanwhile, long-time campaigner Christina Rees of Women and
the Church said that, now the mother church had made this move, she felt
other provinces of the Anglican Communion which had been holding back
out of “deference” would follow suit.
I was also struck by young journalist Carey Lodge of
“Christian Today”, who was born the year before the Church of England
voted in favour of women priests.
She said her friends were filling her social media space with
tweets and updates revelling in what one woman is achieving today. All
of them believed others would follow quickly.
Libby Lane’s former curate at Hale, Georgina Watmore, told me
with a big beam on her face that she looked forward to the day when
there would be a female archbishop – and “probably in my lifetime”.
Her consecration comes more than 20 years after women became priests in the Church of England.
And it comes after the general synod gave the final seal of
approval to the legislation on women bishops following its passage
through Parliament last year.
After the change was approved, Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby said that the Church was entering a “completely new phase
of our existence”.
Who is the Reverend Libby Lane?
- Vicar of St Peter’s Hale and St Elizabeth’s Ashley, in Greater Manchester, since April 2007
- Ordained as deacon in 1993 and as priest in 1994, serving her curacy at St James’s Church, Blackburn
- Since January 2010, she has been Dean of Women in Ministry for the Diocese of Chester
- Her husband, George, is also a priest
- They were one of the first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained together
- She is a Manchester United supporter and is learning to play the saxophone, according to her church’s website
Who is the Church of England’s first female bishop?
But divisions still remain between Anglicans who feel the
change is consistent with their faith and traditionalists who disagree.
Opponents of women bishops include some who place great
importance on the laying on of hands by existing bishops in the
consecration of new bishops, and wish to be looked after by bishops not
affected by the involvement of women in this process.
Church of England women priests
full-time C of E priests
are women
- 101 male C of E bishops
- 30 Anglican women bishops worldwide
- 21 years since first C of E women priests ordained
next month. The laying on of hands on the Rev Philip North will be
performed by other bishops but not by Dr Sentamu (who by then will have
laid hands on Bishop Lane). Mr North opposes women bishops.
Dr Sentamu said the changes to Mr North’s consecration were
made “for prayer, not politics”. He pointed to the arrangements within
the Church that “a suitable supply of bishops continues” for opponents of women’s ordination.
Gloucester, Oxford and Newcastle are among the dioceses where
new bishops will also soon be appointed, while interviews for the
vacancy as bishop for the Southwell and Nottingham diocese took place at
the start of December.
Anglican churches in Scotland and Wales already allow women as bishops, but have not appointed any yet.
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