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Church of England to Consecrate First Female Bishop


Members of the clergy enter York Minster before a service to consecrate Reverend Libby Lane as the first female bishop in the Church of England, in York, northern England, Jan. 26, 2015.
Members of the clergy enter York Minster before a service to consecrate Reverend Libby Lane as the first female bishop in the Church of England, in York, northern England, Jan. 26, 2015.

The Church of England consecrates a female bishop Monday, for the first time since it was founded by King Henry the 8th in 1534.

More than 1,000 people were expected to attend the ceremony for Libby Lane at York Minster in northern England.

Lane, a soccer fan and saxophone player will be the bishop of Stockport, in northwest England.

Lane, 48, was ordained a priest 20 years ago, alongside her husband, George. The couple was one of the first married couples to be ordained together in the church.

The Church of England voted in November to allow women to become bishops, despite continuing divisions over the issue.

Material for this report came from AP and AFP.

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