Prime minister to opt out of choosing Church of England bishops

London (ENI). The Church of England has welcomed Prime Minister Gordon Brown's proposal to parliament to remove the prime minister from the process of choosing the church's bishops in the future. "I welcome the prospect of the church being the decisive voice in the appointment of bishops, which the [denomination's] general synod called for 33 years ago," Archbishop of York John Sentamu said in a statement. The established status of the Church of England means that the British sovereign is its "supreme governor" and appoints diocesan bishops on the advice of the prime minister. [359 words, ENI-07-0515]

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