A Church of England bishop has been forced to apologise to the archbishop of Canterbury after accidentally breaking ranks with his colleagues in a crucial vote on same-sex relationships.
Christopher Cocksworth, bishop of Coventry, said he was embarrassed after he pressed the wrong button on his electronic handset in the tense vote on a highly controversial bishops’ report at the C of E synod on Thursday.
The report was rejected after the House of Clergy narrowly voted against “taking note” of it, although it commanded overall support in the synod. The motion needed the backing of all three houses – bishops, clergy and laity.
The House of Bishops voted by 43 to 1 in favour of the motion, triggering speculation over which bishop had broken unanimity.
In a blog posted late on Wednesday, Cocksworth admitted his error. After praising the report as a valuable roadmap, he added: “Much to my embarrassment, however, I have managed to give the impression that there was not complete agreement in the House of Bishops that the report provided us with the best way forward.
“Due to a moment of distraction and some confusion over the voting process, I pressed the wrong button on my handset, thus registering a vote against taking note rather than a vote for taking note of the report! I have apologised to my colleagues in the House of Bishops and to the archbishops for my mistake.”
The de facto rejection of the report is a blow to the bishops, which had upheld traditional teaching on marriage after six months of discussions after two years of intense closed-door working groups within the C of E.
They said there was “very little appetite” to change doctrine that defines marriage as a lifelong union of a man and a woman, while encouraging clergy to act with “maximum freedom” within the bounds of church law.
After the vote, Pete Broadbent, bishop of Willesden, said the church had not yet “coalesced around an end point” on the issue of same-sex relationships. “More conversation is needed. We don’t yet know the next stage – nor yet when and whether we can bring any further report to the synod.”
The House of Bishops is expected to meet in the coming weeks to work out a way forward.
One serving bishop, Alan Wilson of Buckinghamshire, had added his name to an open letter signed by 19 retired bishops criticising their successors for a lack of leadership and for marginalising the voices of LGBT Christians.
