US Episcopal Church appoints first female bishop

AMERICA’S Episcopal Church has elected Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as the presiding bishop of the denomination, making her the first woman to lead any church in the global Anglican Communion.

The choice of Bishop Jefferts Schori may worsen – and could even splinter – the already difficult relations between the American denomination and its fellow Anglicans, which includes the Church of Ireland.

Episcopalians have been sparring with many in the other 37 Anglican provinces over homosexuality, but a female leader adds a new layer of complexity to the already troubled relationship. Placing a female bishop at the head of the denomination could further anger conservatives worldwide and even within the US church.

Only two other Anglican provinces, New Zealand and Canada, have female bishops, although a handful of other provinces allow women to serve in the post. However, there are many Anglican leaders who believe women should not even be priests.

The Church of Ireland has allowed women to be ordained as priests since 1976.

Bishop Jefferts Schori narrowly won a vote among her fellow bishops at the governing General Convention meeting of the Episcopal Church.

The US Episcopal Church has been asked to express regret for defying the official policy of the 75 million-strong Anglican Communion by consecrating Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop in 2003.

It has also been asked to impose a moratorium on public blessings for same-sex “marriages”.

However, one English bishop said that efforts to prevent a schism in the Anglican Communion are now futile as it has become virtually “two religions”.

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, said the division between liberals and conservatives in the worldwide Anglican Communion was now so profound that a compromise was impossible.

“Nobody wants a split, but if you think you have virtually two religions in a single Church, something has got to give sometime,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

The Church of England is likely to delay the introduction of women bishops after its leaders failed to reach agreement on how best to introduce the historic reform.