The Church of England's ruling General Synod has voted to consecrate women as bishops and approved a code of practice aimed at reassuring opponents.

However, the code falls short of safeguards demanded by traditionalists, such as allowing male "super-bishops" to cater for those against the reforms.

Liberals said such moves would have created a two-tier episcopacy.

A church group will now draw up a draft of the as-yet unspecified safeguards to put before Synod next February.

Some 1300 clergy had threatened to leave the church if safeguards were not agreed to reassure objectors.

Following six hours of debate on Monday, which saw one bishop in tears, Synod rejected both the super-bishops proposal as well as the traditionalists' preferred option of new dioceses for objectors.

The Vatican says the move is a setback to dialogue efforts with the Roman Catholic Church.

"Such a decision signifies a break with the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the churches since the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England," said a statement by the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The BBC's story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7494517.stm\

How the motion read...

The motion for women bishops was moved by the Bishop of Gloucester:

'That this Synod:

(a) affirm that the wish of its majority is for women to be admitted to
the episcopate;

(b) affirm its view that special arrangements be available, within the
existing structures of the Church of England, for those who as a matter
of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of
women as bishops or priests;

(c) affirm that these should be contained in a statutory national code
of practice to which all concerned would be required to have regard; and

(d) instruct the legislative drafting group, in consultation with the
House of Bishops, to complete its work accordingly, including preparing
the first draft of a code of practice, so that the Business Committee
can include first consideration of the draft legislation in the agenda
for the February 2009 group of sessions.'

The motion was carried by a division of the three houses of Synod.

House of Bishops - For 28, Against 12, Abstentions 1

House of Clergy - For 124, Against 44, Abstentions 4

House of Laity - For 111, Against 68, Abstentions 2

Audio of afternoon session (part 1 of 2)-
http://audio.cofemedia.org.uk/synod/Jul0827.wax

Audio of afternoon session (part 2 of 2)-
http://audio.cofemedia.org.uk/synod/Jul0828.wax

Audio of evening session -
http://audio.cofemedia.org.uk/synod/Jul0829.wax

Newspaper reports

Riazat Butt in the London Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/07/anglicanism.religion2

Ruth Gledhill in the London Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4289994.ece

Martin Beckford in the London Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/majornews/2264484/Church-of-England-set-to-split-over--women-bishops.html

Jerome Taylor in the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/church-risks-split-as-synod-votes-to-ordain-women-bishops-862076.html