Worshippers at a Church of England cathedral are being offered a two-track Communion service with a separate supply of “untainted” Communion bread for those who object to its being consecrated by a woman priest.

A special container, for the hosts — unleavened bread representing the body of Christ — which have been previously consecrated by a male priest, is brought out during Sunday morning services at Blackburn Cathedral if a woman priest is presiding.

The special arrangements, which have been condemned by supporters of women priests, were introduced because of the recent installation of Dr Sue Penfold as one of three residentiary canons. Even though she is legitimately ordained and employed, it means that when she is celebrating the eucharist those who dispute the validity of her orders can make sure they receive “untainted” sacrament consecrated earlier by a man.

The special container, known as the “reserved sacrament” after practice in the Roman Catholic Church, is then housed in the cathedral’s aumbry, or tabernacle, and brought out on Sunday mornings when Dr Penfold is celebrating. It is used for those who do not recognise her ministry but many other worshippers also receive these hosts, unaware that they are different.

The Church of England has special exemption from equality legislation in secular law, which means arrangements such as Blackburn’s are perfectly legal. The Church could still refuse to consecrate women bishops if more than a third oppose this when it reaches final debate by the General Synod in the next few years.

Blackburn has for decades been a seat of opposition to women’s ordination. Both the present Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Rev Nicholas Reade, and the Dean, the Very Rev Christopher Armstrong, oppose women’s ordination. It has a regular congregation of about 200 on Sunday mornings, with half a dozen who refuse to receive the sacrament from a woman.

A local clergy wife, Gertrude Robins, who complained about the arrangements in a letter to her local newspaper, the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, said she had recently discovered the use of the reserved sacrament at Blackburn when Dr Penfold was celebrating and had arranged a meeting with the Dean to discuss it.

“He justified the practice by saying that there are some in the congregation who will not accept the sacrament consecrated by a woman and they have to think also of visitors. I am stunned and saddened. What a shame the Church is allowed to discriminate in this way.”

A retired head teacher, Sally Barnes, of the women priests’ support group Women and the Church, said: “This is quite outrageous. This is what happens when you have a church where women are regarded as tainted. It is an absolute disgrace. Quite a few people in that area have complained about it.”

Even Forward in Faith, the Church’s traditionalist lobby group, described the arrangement as unusual. Its spokesman Stephen Parkinson said: “I’ve never come across this before. It is pretty extraordinary. I can’t understand why the women priests put up with it.”

Dr Penfold and the Dean are on holiday and not available for comment. But the cathedral’s canon, Andrew Hindley, defended the arrangement. He said: “It was agreed by all the clergy and cathedral chapter that this was the best way to handle what we call a mixed economy.”