“…I heard that the Church of England was being advised to declare women capable of Priests’ Order. I am, indeed, informed that such a proposal is very unlikely to be seriously considered by the authorities. To take such a revolutionary step at the present moment, to cut ourselves off from the Christian past and to widen the divisions between ourselves and other Churches by establishing an order of priestesses in our midst, would be an almost wanton degree of imprudence. And the Church of England herself would be torn in shreds…”

“We men may often make very bad priests. That is because we are insufficiently masculine. It is no cure to call in those who are not masculine at all.”

I admire your optimism on that count. It would be the sensible thing, especially where the priest and congregation, lock, stock and barrel intend to take the plunge.

However, experience to date would suggest that having snatched the rug from under our feet without a whiff of remorse, would they hesitate to attempt to sell the roofs from over our heads? I suspect the debate over ownership of buildings will not be a clean game.

Perhaps these PEVs and others ought also to reflect on the fact that if there had been a little less gauntlet throwing and bitter rhetoric on their part, and a little more charity, perhaps things would be different now. As it is, they have simply pushed people into loathing us all the more. They will receive their full pensions. I hope they have the decency to share them with those, like good Fr Ed, who never will.

Moreover, those who think that there will be any form of transfer of property are, quite frankly, living in fairy land, and to encourage ordinary people to think otherwise is highly misleading and dishonest.