THE AUSTRALIAN: THE first female Australian bishops could be ordained within a year after the Anglican Appellate Tribunal found there was nothing in the church’s constitution to stop their elevation.

Anglican Primate Phillip Aspinall said yesterday it was possible a woman bishop could be appointed next year, the logical progression of the decision 16 years ago to ordain women as priests.

However, Dr Aspinall said there were no vacancies and pointed out the country’s 23 diocesan bishops had agreed to delay any decisions about how to proceed until their next national meeting, in April.

Announcing that the seven-man Appellate Tribunal had found no impediment in the church’s constitution against women becoming bishops, Dr Aspinall admitted the move might provoke some parishioners to leave the church.