World | Australia
Anglican church to get female bishop
Australia's Anglican church appointed its first woman bishop on Friday, but moved to avoid further tension with church conservatives by allowing parishes to opt out if they do not like a woman being in charge.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:39 April 12, 2008
Canberra: Australia's Anglican church appointed its first woman bishop on Friday, but moved to avoid further tension with church conservatives by allowing parishes to opt out if they do not like a woman being in charge.
The appointment of Perth-based Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy, 51, as an assistant bishop comes 16 years after Australia's Anglicans ordained the first women into the priesthood.
Anglican women bishops currently serve in New Zealand, the United States and Canada.
"In terms of women in the Australian church, this is a day that has been long anticipated and one we have been waiting for, hoping for, praying for and working towards," Goldsworthy said.
Women all around
"There will be women all around the country, and men, who will be celebrating."
Goldsworthy will be consecrated as bishop on May 22, in a move likely to further anger conservatives, including the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, who has been an outspoken critic of the ordination of women and gay priests.
When the Anglican church cleared the last legal hurdle for women bishops last September, Jensen expressed his disappointment and said the move would create difficulties for the church for decades.
But Anglican bishops met earlier this week and agreed to a new protocol on women bishops, which allow individual parishes to opt out and with a male bishop to be offered to oversee that parish.
Goldsworthy, ordained in 1992, was one of Australia's first women priests. She is married and has twin boys.
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