Synod day four

It was strange to be sitting in the university dining room this morning eating breakfast and watching BBC  news on the telly reporting live from Central Hall just a few yards away.

The media does take an inordinate interest in the debate about women bishops. Partly I think this is because it confirms its image of the Church as an old fashioned, slightly dotty institution, struggling to catch up with the rest of 21st century Britain.

 As it happens our day started with something quite different from women in the episcopate, namely the armed forces covenant. With growing numbers of veterans from recent conflicts, the nation (and the church's) care for the armed force becomes more and more important.

With that rare synod phenomenon taking place outside - a queue to get into the public gallery - synod settled down to what would be a four-hour debate. At the beginning the Archbishop of York gave us the alarming news that no less than 85 members had signalled that they wished to speak in the debate, though he warned us that the rules gave him the power to halt speeches that were tediously repetitive.

In the event it was an excellent debate and the measure received the required two thirds majority in each of three houses of bishops, clergy and laity.

Cheers from the public gallery produced a frown from the Archbishop because it is the custom of the synod to receive the results of votes in silence. Earlier he had said 'we are not the House of Commons but the church of Jesus Christ' in a pointed reference to that disorderly assembly in Westminster.

A great British institution then followed, a tea break, before we considered another great British institution which is 800 years old next year, Magna Carta.

The Diocese in which Runnymede is located, Guildford, had brought a motion calling for a commemoration of the event which recognised the part the church played in drawing up the great charter of English liberty. The Synod agreed and approved the motion approved by a large majority.