THE FIRST woman bishop is to be consecrated at York Minster tomorrow (Monday, January 26) by Archbishop Dr John Sentamu.

The landmark event will see The Rev Libby Lane, currently Vicar of St Peter’s in Hale, and St Elizabeth’s in Ashley, near Chester, become Bishop of Stockport.

While the consecration has caused controversy among members of the church who oppose women bishops, Dr Sentamu has rejected claims he is promoting the theory that female bishops are ‘tainted’ after it emerged he will not lay on of hands on a male priest in a subsequent consecration.

Dr Sentamu will perform the lay on of hands part of the ceremony on Rev Lane, but his deputy will perform the same task at the consecration of The Rev Philip North on Monday, February 2, when he becomes Bishop of Burnley.

Mr North is a member of the conservative Company of Mission Priests group that opposes women as bishops.

Dr Sentamu said: “With great joy and thanksgiving the Church of England will see the consecration of The Revd Libby Lane and The Revd Philip North as bishops.

“Nothing should be allowed to constrain our joy, our prayers and our thanksgiving, on either occasion.

“Consecration arrangements are in law a matter for the Archbishop of the relevant province. While they normally act as chief consecrator, and will continue to do so, Archbishops have always had the power to delegate the role on a particular occasion.

“Any suggestion that the arrangements proposed for the consecration of the Bishop of Burnley are influenced by a theology of ‘taint’ would be mistaken.”