http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8971213/The-Queens-new-chaplain-declares-Women-bishops-are-wrong.html
The Queen's new chaplain declares: Women bishops are wrong
The Queen has appointed an outspoken critic of women bishops to be her new chaplain.
Rev Preb Paul Lockett
Mandrake can disclose that the Queen has appointed one of the most outspoken critics of women bishops as her chaplain.
“It’s almost like a nod of approval by the Royal family and Church of England to receive this honour,” claims the Rev Preb Paul Lockett. “It shows that they still see the traditionalist voice as an important one that ought to be heard.”
He adds: “I will keep speaking about my traditionalist views, and making sure they’re heard. I can only say what I believe, and we need to make sure there is a code of practice and respect that fits with the authority a bishop should have, which can be done only when the bishop is male.”
Last month, the campaign for women bishops took a step forward when the Church’s dioceses voted in favour of the move. Only two out of 44 voted against the draft legislation, easily securing the 50 per cent needed to go back to the General Synod for a further vote.
He adds: “I will keep speaking about my traditionalist views, and making sure they’re heard. I can only say what I believe, and we need to make sure there is a code of practice and respect that fits with the authority a bishop should have, which can be done only when the bishop is male.”
Last month, the campaign for women bishops took a step forward when the Church’s dioceses voted in favour of the move. Only two out of 44 voted against the draft legislation, easily securing the 50 per cent needed to go back to the General Synod for a further vote.
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The synod has already backed an earlier motion on the issue. However, traditionalist Anglo–Catholics and conservative evangelicals are continuing to oppose the change, and have called for more concessions. If the synod supports the final motion next year, the first woman bishop could be consecrated in 2014.
The Rev Preb Lockett, whose new role will involve preaching to the Royal family, declared in October: “I can’t acknowledge a woman bishop. If she then delegates her authority to a male bishop, it has no value. The validity of the sacrament is of vital importance.”
He said a third “province” of the Church could be created to represent parishes which don’t agree with women bishops. The current provinces are Canterbury and York.
The Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church, wrote “supportive’’ letters to the leaders of a traditionalist movement in 2009. She told the heads of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a group formed in response to the liberal direction of some parts of the Anglican Communion, that she “understood their concerns’’.
Royal sources said she was not endorsing the group and pointed out that she corresponds with a great number of organisations.
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