In a historical first, the Church of England has voted to allow women to serve as bishops. An overwhelming 351 members voted in favor of the measure, 72 voted against it, and 10 abstained. Before the vote by the national assembly known as the General Synod, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the public would view it as “almost incomprehensible” if the measure were to fail. Just two years ago, a similar piece of legislation failed to get two-thirds of the vote. Women can already serve as bishops in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
