Government praises “spiritual insight” of bishops in response to petition calling for their removal from the Lords.

Feb 10, 2016 by

from National Secular Society.

The Government has said that changes to the Lords are “important” but that the position of the bishops in the Upper House is not a “priority”, in response to a petition calling for the removal of 26 bishops from the House of Lords.

After the censure of the US Episcopalian Church by the Anglican Communion over same-sex marriage, a petition was launched calling on the Government to reform the House of Lords by removing Anglican bishops from the Upper House.

The petition read: “With the publication of the Church of England’s intention to sanction the US Episcopal Church over the latter’s sympathetic stance towards equal marriage, the C of E is quite out of step with UK Law and indeed common humanity. Thus we feel strongly these bishops have no place in our government.”

It quickly achieved over 10,000 signatures, prompting a Government response that called for “constitutional changes” while defending the role bishops currently play in the House of Lords, citing their “important independent voice and spiritual insight”.

“Changes to the composition of the House of Lords, including Church of England Bishops, are important but, given the very full programme of other constitutional changes, are not a priority at present,” a statement from the Cabinet Office said.

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