The Church of England decided last night to consecrate women bishops, with minimum concessions to opponents and despite the threat of a mass exodus of traditionalist clergy.

After one of the most contentious debates faced by the Church’s General Synod, its members voted to allow the consecration of women bishops but rejected compromise proposals for new “super bishops”, who would have catered for the objectors.

The decisions, after more than six hours of debate, led to extraordinary scenes at the University of York, with one bishop in tears as he spoke of being “ashamed” of the Church of England.

The Rt Rev Stephen Venner, Bishop of Dover, who is in favour of women bishops, said that the failure to agree to create “super bishops” meant that every opportunity to allow objectors to “flourish” within the Church had been turned down.

Times Archive, 1984: Fear of divisiveness on women priests

If these ladies are ordained, what about the strain on the loyalties of those women who think this is gravely wrong? Where are we to go?

• Runcie favours women priests

• Women priests 'obstacle' to unity

• Letter from the Bishop of Manchester and others

Related Links

• Christmas 2014 - at the earliest

• Archbishop of Canterbury ‘a scapegoat’

• The Anglican wars are bad for all of us

Multimedia

• Read Ruth Gledhill's account of the drama

On the proposal to bring forward legislation to consecrate women bishops, the synod bishops voted by 28 to 12 for the motion, the clergy by 124 to 44 and laity by 111 to 68. There were seven abstentions across all three houses. Legislation will be drawn up, coming back to the synod in February next year, and then go to dioceses for approval. A final vote will require a majority of two thirds from bishops, clergy and laity.

A statutory national code of practice will also be drawn up for those “who as a matter of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of women as bishops or priests”.

The decision led to members warning of the prospect of traditionalists seeking supervision from conservative archbishops in overseas provinces, as conservatives have in the US, after the dispute over gay ordination.

Catholic and evangelical bishops are also understood to have held secret talks in Rome to discuss how to proceed with unity talks once women are ordained, and what, if any, kind of recognition might be granted to Anglo-Catholics by Rome.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who urged generous provision for opponents, sat with his head in his hands as a proposal for “super bishops” for objectors to women bishops was defeated. The super bishops would have been an upgraded version of the “flying bishops” appointed to care for opponents of women priests.

The synod rejected the plan even though it had the backing of the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu. Under the new proposals to consecrate women, flying bishops will also disappear and parishes will no longer be able to opt into their care instead of that of their diocesan bishop.

Dr Williams told synod members he would be unhappy to see a “systematic marginalisation” of Anglo-Catholics, whom he described as a “necessary abrasion”.

The Bishop of Winchester, the Right Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, afterwards condemned the synod’s move as “profoundly short-sighted” and “mean spirited.”