There is a female majority for the first time in the Church of England, with more women priests joining than men. This certainly bodes well for a final “yes” vote in next July’s Synod that would allow women into the Episcopate. “Official figures show that 290 women were ordained in 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available,” says British newspaper The Telegraph. “By contrast, just 273 men entered the priesthood.”

This marks a historical moment. It is the first time in twenty years that the Church of England has allowed women to become priests, despite opposition from English Catholics and Evangelical conservatives who believe that only men can lead within the Church. In 1994, there were but 106 ordained women compared to 299 men. Total figures show that in 2010, there number of men ordained as priests (8087) was more than double that of female ordinations (3535). The problem of allowing women to take the Holy Orders (the Anglican Church came up with a positive solution to this in 1992), has been one of the most hotly debated ecclesiological questions in recent years.

Giorgio Otranto, Professor of Ancient Christian History in the University of Bari’s humanities faculty, stressed: “Various hard line movements have sprung up, experts of different confessions and cultural backgrounds have raised their voices and people both in favour and against the ordination of women priests have started heated debates on the subject."

Full Story: Women outnumber men in the Anglican Church for the first time

Source: Vatican Insider/La Stampa