Church clash due over women bishops

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Members of the General Synod, the Church's ruling body, will be asked to make a "watershed" decision on how to proceed with the introduction of women bishops.

The debate comes amid threats from more than 1,000 clergy that they might leave the Church if legal safeguards are not introduced to protect them from the oversight of women bishops.

Senior women in the Church have said they would rather see a delay in the legislation than allow "discriminatory" laws to be passed against women.

The Synod will be asked to back a motion calling for a national code of practice to accommodate parishes which cannot accept women bishops.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, will attempt to amend this motion by putting forward proposals for work on two possible ways forward.

One of these options would be for a national code - but the other would be to explore the creation of a new class of "super bishop" called a "complementary bishop" to cater for objectors.

Under the proposals put by the Rt Rev Packer, there would be three "super bishops" - one for the York province and two for Canterbury.

His proposals come amid calls from a significant number of General Synod members for a delay in pressing ahead with legislation to introduce women bishops.

Some have said such a move would be a "shattering" blow to the unity of a Church which is already facing controversy over homosexual priests.