Gay bishops allowed – but they can’t have sex

The Church of England reopened discussion of the most divisive issue in Anglicanism last night by unexpectedly saying that openly gay men could become bishops, providing they are celibate.

The timing of the announcement took supporters and opponents of gay bishops by surprise, and the decision threatens to present incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Rev Justin Welby, with renewed infighting in the Anglican Church over the issue of sexual orientation.

One leading conservative last night warned the U-turn would put the debate about women bishops in the shade and "finally divide the Anglican Communion completely".

Although liberals largely welcomed the news, they also voiced concerns that gay clergy would still be expected to answer searching questions about the nature of celibacy – something their straight single counterparts are not expected to do. The consecration of gay clergy as bishops has caused deep divisions within the Church of England since Jeffrey John was forced to withdraw his candidacy for the bishopric of Reading in 2003, following an outcry by conservative evangelicals. 

Yesterday's decision could pave the way for Dr John, now Dean of St Albans and one of the few openly gay but celibate clerics, finally to take up a senior position within the Church.

In 2005, the Church decided that someone in a same-sex civil partnership could become a priest as long as they were celibate, but said nothing about whether someone in the same position could become a bishop.

In 2011, with conservatives threatening to cleave the Church in two if any new appointments were made, senior Church leaders brought in a moratorium on any further elevation of a gay clergyman to the role of bishop. 

Now the House of Bishops, the body responsible for official teachings, has reversed that ban by declaring that a civil partnership is not necessarily a bar to entering the episcopate. 

It comes after weeks of embarrassing headlines for the Church on the issue of sexuality following the failure to approve legislation on women bishops in November and the announcement by the Government the following month that the Church would be exempt from gay marriage legislation.

The House of Bishops' decision, which was taken in December but only became common knowledge yesterday, effectively ends the ban on an openly gay man becoming bishop as long as he remains celibate.

Dr Welby takes a conservative evangelical approach to homosexuality but the incoming Archbishop is unlikely to risk a direct conflict with the House of Bishops so early in his tenure. When his appointment was announced he said he was re-examining his views on gay relationships "prayerfully and carefully". Last night, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, said: "The House has confirmed that clergy in civil partnerships, and living in accordance with the teaching of the Church on human sexuality, can be considered as candidates for the episcopate. The House believed it would be unjust to exclude from consideration for the episcopate anyone seeking to live fully in conformity with the Church's teaching on sexual ethics or other areas of personal life and discipline."

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