United Kingdom-The Church of England ended centuries of male-only leadership, as Libby Lane became its first female bishop in a ceremony briefly disrupted by a traditionalist priest´s protest.
Around 100 bishops gathered around the 48-year-old to perform the traditional "laying on of hands" at the ceremony´s climax in the Gothic splendor of York Minster, northern England.
The congregation of some 2,000 people broke into applause and cheers and some shed tears. Highlighting the divisions which dog the Church despite a painstaking reconciliation process, a lone conservative opposed to women, as bishops had earlier disrupted the ceremony.
When asked by Archbishop John Sentamu, if it was their will that Lane become a bishop, the congregation responded, "It is!", but one man shouted out "No, it´s not in the Bible!"
In a statement which had been pre-prepared in anticipation of a possible protest, Sentamu then told the man that his challenge had no basis in law and continued with the ceremony.
Church spokesman Arun Arora described the man, conservative clergyman Paul Williamson, as a "serial protester", adding: "It´s a contrast between a lone voice protesting and a sea of voices.