The First (female) Bishop
Perhaps the only surprising this about this announcement was the faint air of surprise in the Sydney media. Archbishop Aspinal had obviously been preparing the way for some time and Perth is, at least in recent times, the most progressive of the Australian dioceses. So now the Church of England has dared to take a step forward in the face of the Pope and the Archbishop of Sydney!
I’m puzzled by the monolithic refusal to acknowledge the realities by the Sydney block. No sensible person believes the line from St Andrew’s House that everyone in Sydney would object to a woman as a bishop, and it was quite clear that Rob Forsythe was far less troubled by the issue that his colleague north of the harbour. Only one other diocese is likely to join Sydney (and its little club, but maybe even Armidale won’t worry) in finding worn out misogynist bishops to look after those with objections to women as leaders. A more important issue is, who will look after the non-Evangelicals in Sydney — and the St Andrew’s crew never showed any concern for broad and high church remnants in the Sydney diocese over fifty years.
I often wonder what my churchmanship might have been had I lived in a city other that Sydney. My parents have maintained a stance rich in irony, attending their local ‘chapel’ while visiting Christ Church at regular intervals. I couldn’t see myself doing it 25 years ago, and yet I’ve tolerated the cheerful exclusion of women from leadership in the Catholic Church for all that time. It’s not really double standards: Catholics in the West, particularly in the English-speaking world, have negotiated a way around this issue that is a tacit power-sharing, while waiting for inevitable change. When we run out of priests, or — sooner — decent priests, we might start realising what we have been missing.
A couple of questions. Would Bishop Goldsworthy be allowed to preside at mass in Sydney? Has she gone under the title ‘Mother’? all interesting signs of cultural change this side of the mountains, that are old news elsewhere, I’m sure.
