A piece of advice to the CoE: since your understanding of the Church is second to none, maybe it's time to make a brave move and turn Anglicanism into a gay-charity organisation led by some women bishops and pathetic post-Christian intellectualists overwhelmend by the challenges of the modernity.

Tomasz Markiewka, Katowice, Poland

"Dozens of Anglo-Catholics..."

What's that? 24? 36? Not exactly thousands. Sums it up really.

People, get over yourselves. The church is made up and pointless. I feel so much more liberated since I've become athiest. And I haven't even turned to genocide or torturing small animals so fear not!

andrew lees, london,

Following the example of Jesus, the General Synod has had the courage to treat women as fully-fledged human beings thus abolishing one more type of discrimination against female members of the Church. One has to remember that "Ecclesia semper reformanda".

Francis Pimentel-Pinto, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9ND, England

How does any Christian justify female exclusion in the religious hierarchy and clergy, yet accept modern times dictate equality of the sexes in all other areas of business, community and political life? It's pathetic...............

sean, sydney,

Quoting the Bible to pursue your ideas is one of the most insane approaches in life. As a woman I am not inclined to have these men tell me I am not worthy. That is exactly what Rome says. Christ has a more loving approach (Jew, Greek, servant, free, male, female). Who believes servant now?

Terry, Greensburg, USA

We all know but tend to ignore that Jesus worked within the limitations of his time and its customs.
Galatians 3:28:“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female,for you are all one in Christ Jesus".
Decipher that, all you 'proper' christians who take the bible word for word

MK, London,

With a serious shortage of priests, it's just a matter of time before Rome finds a way to reinstate a married clergy. This will be followed by a theological and scriptural basis for allowing the ordination of women. The Anglicans are way out front on this issue!

Danyel, Canton, OH, USA

On and on and on and on it goes. The issue of the moment is men who wish to remain true to biblical teaching facing an onslaught of PC "progressiveness" for doing so. They upset the many whose own relative "truth" du jour takes the place of objective Truth from 2000 years ago. Truth matters.

El Davo, Scottsdale, AZ,

"I thought the queen was the head of the CoE. The last time I looked, she seemed to be a woman!"

She's not leading the church though because thats done by the extreme liberal (we should have Sharia Law) Archbishop of Canterbury

Mark, Manchester, England

"Cardinal Kasper has said that it is time for the Church of England to decide whether it is a Catholic or Protestant body"

Hmmm perhaps my history is a little hazy, but I was always led to believe England was a Protestant country...

Dave, Waringstown, ENGLAND

The Roman Catholic Church is the true Christian Church ordained by Jesus Christ "Though art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it" all other breakaways are in schism

Albert Cooper, Norwich, England

The Archbishop of York is right when he says "Jesus Christ is in the streets weeping". Luckily, despite the media focus, I believe that most Christians around the world are aware of this and are trying to live according to the principles taught by Jesus - "love God & love each another".

mike, athens,

Good riddance to them if they actually leave, can see why my husband doesn't believe in any of it.

Sonia, London, England

Two points: First, The Salvation Army has twice had women as world leaders (Evangeline Booth, 1936-1939) and Eva Burrows (1986-1992): it didn't do us any harm! Second, is the Biship of London n. 3 in the Anglican hierarchy? I thought Durham was third, followed by London?

David Cavanagh, Naples, Italy

As always the Roman Catholic Church is in the lead for discrimination against women - only slightly behind Islam.

Sean, Coventry, UK

A church is a private club that has the right to invite or exclude based on it's own criteria. Thus COE can elect whom ever it wants to whichever position they choose. That said, I don't relate to the religious community, especially these backward people who so despise the idea of a WOMAN!!! priest.

Andrew Warwick, Shanghai, China

We need to be clear that those who 'threatened defection' have not chickened out. The CofE has made it clear we are not welcome but we are at the beginning not the end - we may stay and fight for the Catholic faith until the final vote or seek another home now, but a decision takes time & prayer.

Matthew Bemand, Brentwood,

"The Divide" is created by the minds of angry people, while acceptance and progression is embraced by others.

Rachael, Liverpool, UK

I love the quoted statement by His Grace Dr Sentamu. I am sorry call me a liberal if you want but this is where human kind gets it so wrong and this antipathy towards those who God has given the love and ability to serve because of their gender or sexuality I can only see as wrong and not christian.

Mark, Weybridge,

I'm already ahead of them. I've decided to leave the C of E because of this politically Correct move by the liberals.

John, Salford, England

Another case of d pot calling d kettle black ! Both churches r pseudo n anti christian4promulgating their own teachings instead of God's, just like d Pharisees: Matthew 15:9. Christianity is a matter of love n obedience:John14:23.. D Holy Spirit by revelation expects bishops2be : 1st Timothy3:1-7

carmine cicchiello, adelaide, australia

re-Alberto Agreed. "Humanistic" atheistic cultures have "progressed ahead in spite of the church": Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, Pol Pot, & 100s of millions of human beings exterminated in suction & saline (developed in Nazi concentration camps) abortions. The greatest mass killings in human history.

cathy hansen, ruckersville, virginia, usa

Where did all this "super-bishops" nonsense come from? It certainly was not in the Church's own documents.

Dr Alan Marsh, Ely,

Good for the Church of England!! The Vatican is trying to live in a long past patriarchal society. Who cares what they regret?!?

Brian C-P, Portland, ME, USA

I think the Pope should get stuffed. He does not have a dog in this fight.

He has enough problems of his own making!!

Henry Cowan, Linthicum, MD, USA

How about what the other denominations think? The Methodists and Anglicans are currently working on a covenant together. Do the Anglicans wish to be more linked to the Catholics, the Methodists or neither? The Methodists have had women preachers for nearly 100 years, and at all levels for decades.

Nicola, Bristol, UK

Ben from Columbia, you say "do what the Bible says". There are numerous biblical reasons to support women bishops. At the Last Supper Jesus sent out both men and women. And in Galations "There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ".

Nicola, Bristol, UK

For all those so supportive of the ordination of woman, please show me any great congregations of the Christian Faith that are lead by woman. When woman assume the mantle of leadership in most Episcopal Churches in the United States, the number of men attending the churches drops.

Jeffrey L. Gorman, Harker Heights, United States

What's it got to do with the Vatican. The C of E is a separate Church and not subject to the misogynistic and medieval judgements of the Catholic faith. When Jesus was around women were tied to the home; if he were around now he would have some female disciples. Times change - get used to it.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

Don't these supposedly intelligent people (Anglocathlics) have anything more important to worry about? Oh, well - at least it keeps them off the streets (hopefully). What a bunch of losers.

William R. Bauer, New York, NY, USA

Maybe Muslims have more in common with the Pope than he would like to admit.

Tim, Toronto,

How polticised the Anglican Communion has now become.

This has nothing to do with sexual equality but I'm afraid many people voted on this premise

John Carey, Burnham, UK

There is nothing Catholic or Protestant about this issue. The attempt to smear Protestantism with feminism is rather revealing, though, in more ways than one.

Jim Guest, G. Manchester,

Tell me what good the Church has ever really done ?

They are the real Devil in disguise. Men that would force their own will and Judgement on others from the pulpit. Yet lead lives of depravity and ignorance all the while. Your real church lies within you and how you are. Not what others tell you

Dave, Lincoln,

Surely time for the Church of England to be disestabished.

Barry Henderson, London, UK

Is Faith today a result of debates? So the Word of God is no longer Truth Universal and Constant? It changes with times and with how debates go?

edwin heng, Singapore, Singapore

This fiasco is entirely of the Cof E's own making. If woman are created priests, it is entirely right and just that they should be able to seek advancement to the bishopric. The mistake was to ordain women as priests in the first place.

Andrew May, De Panne, Belgium

Pity Rome is so unhappy over this. I'll take a woman bishop over a paedophile priest any day.

John F. McIlray, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

This is absolutely crazy behaviour by the CoE. Don't they realise that they can't simply change the rules of an established religion as they go along just to please the liberal left. Catholics at least understand what is needed in these morally questionable times, rock hard values that never change.

Kat V, London, UK

I wish they'd voted in the flying "super bishops".

"Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's an old bloke in a frock and a silly hat whizzing along at 2000mph"!

Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Ee, by gum! Trouble up at t' church!

Hilarious! What a to-do!

I thought the queen was the head of the CoE. The last time I looked, she seemed to be a woman!

Steve, Mundelein, Illinois, USA

religions are such anti-human. Major advances in humanistic culture have come ahead of and in spite of the church. Women's emancipation, freedom of pregnancy choice, respect for sexual orientation, children's rights and nuture, etc., etc., are all the better from secular leadership.

Alberto, Kitscoty, Canada

It's wonderful the the C of E has voted to no longer enshrine chauvinism, discrimination and misogyny in church law. Saint Paul may indeed be spinning in his grave, but I commend the Church trying to end centuries of patriarchal misrule. Vatican should follow suit. Next step, a female pope.

Alice, Oxford, UK

What on earth (or in heaven) are these living anachronisms fretting about? Meanwhile, back in the modern world outside the church window...

David, Manchester, UK

it is a disgrace that our church has come to this i think that they should not have woman as bishops not even priests or gays as this was the problem in the catholic church
all of us

connie barnes, toronto, Canada

Nice one Ben, perhaps you should re-read the old testament and adjust your lifestyle accordingly?

Joe, Dublin, Ireland

In a world with so much pain and poverty and suffering all we get from our church is a few silly old men wearing frocks and big hats worrying about nothing. A plague on their houses.

Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

"Let a bishop be the husband of one wife"--nough said. Do what the Bible says or continue to play at religion.

Ben Columbia, Palm Coast, FL, USA

Allowing women to become bishops in the Anglican communion is meaningless given that all Anglican orders, from Deacon to Archbishop, are invalid since the split from Rome. More concerning is the Anglican church's willingness to bend to the wind of whatever is fashionable for the times

Paul Laing, Bedford, UK

Perhaps Rowan Williams could express 'regret' over the inhumane and frankly immoral stance of the catholic church on contraception, when aids is destroying many third world countries? There are far more important world issues to worry the church than this out-dated problem about gender.

VB, London, UK

Threlfall-Holmes is right on. Few will leave. We Orthodox are all blow and no show--and liberals know it. We prove it often enough. We now have gone into our typical period of "prayerful reflection" and there we will stay until we are brought out to be caned again. Shame on us.

Robert Burns, Louisville, USA

I hope 'God' isn't listening to all this rubbish? Since when was the female aspect of divinity secondrate !!!

Chris, London,

Campaigns in the C of E are for interest groups, gays and women. They are not for projects for evangelisation, caring for the poor and in prison, prayer and worship.
It has become captured by secular agendas, and apparently no leadership can stop this - Synod after Synod will just be commandeered.

Fati, Dalston, UK

Hello All!

1992 was the thin end of the wedge. How could the traditionalists be so blind as to not see that 1992 would lead to this?

Upholding one's core principles is a hard life to live but compromise brings ruin.

I will pray for all the traditionalists.

Pax Domini Sit Semper Vobiscum

Dave, NYC, USA

It is rather sad....the Anglican church is not much more than an empty shell. However, it has become that by trying to be too inclusive and non judgemental. As a result, membership offers little more than warm fuzzies for 'belonging' to a nice family, but no real answers to important questions.

photty, Gig Harbor, WA

Yes, yet another good reason for why England underwent the Reformation!

Aaron, York,

Christians are being persecuted and murdered in Algeria, Egypt, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia etc. Yet the Archbishop of Canterbury thinks it would be a good idea for Sharia law (according to which Muslim converts to Christianity must be killed) to exist as a parallel jurisdiction in the UK.

Strul, Bucharest, Romania