Church of England selection boards will be encouraged to use a form of positive discrimination to appoint woman bishops, The Telegraph reports.
The Church’s most senior official told a UK parliamentary committee that in vacant sees where a male and female candidate are considered equally well qualified, those making appointments will be advised to choose the female.
William Fittall, the Secretary General to the General Synod, said that although the Church is exempt from UK equality laws, bishops’ selection boards will be instructed to follow the same principles in order to boost the number of women in the episcopate.
The General Synod overwhelmingly voted this month for new legislation allowing women to become bishops.