By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Journalist After the leaders of the Church of England rejected a compromise that would have averted a schism on the issue of female bishops, seventy Anglican clergy have met with the Catholic Church to discuss conversion to Catholicism. London's Independent is reporting that the historic vote too place this weekend at the General Synod, the church's legislative assembly, and concerned women bishops, an issue that has long threatened to tear apart Britain's state religion. Traditional members, who believe female ordination is incompatible with their beliefs, wanted a compromise that would have established a special class of bishops to shepherd parishes that do not accept female bishops. Most church leaders recognized this amendment as the only way to avert a full-blown schism,  but supporters of female ordination were furious and said it would create a discriminatory two-tier system.  In spite of their arguments, the amendment received majority backing in two of the three synod bodies - the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy; however, it failed to pass in the House of Clergy by just five votes. Passage requires a majority vote in all three houses. The vote was said to be a humiliating defeat for Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has been desperately trying to ward off a schism in his flock. However, the establishment of women bishops is still not law. This weekend's vote sends the matter to dioceses for discussion before it will appear once again before the Synod of final approval. Only then will it be sent to Parliament and turned into British law. Because this process will take time, there is still the possibility that this October's elections in the 484-seat Synod will tip the balance even further against the issue in future votes.  Meanwhile, as the Synod was casting its votes this weekend, seventy Anglican clergymen were already meeting with Catholic Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham to discuss the possibility of converting to Catholicism under the provisions of Pope Benedict’s 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. One Anglican cleric estimated that at the present time, 200 Anglican clergy are considering conversion. © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®  http://www.womenofgrace.com