– Church in Wales statementThe Archbishop of Wales has, with enormous sadness, accepted the resignation with immediate effect of the Very Rev Janet Henderson as Dean of Llandaff.
He has, in the meantime, asked the Archdeacon of Llandaff, the Venerable Peggy Jackson, as the senior member of the chapter, to have necessary oversight of the cathedral on his behalf, until a new dean is appointed.
The first woman dean of Llandaff Cathedral has resigned - just two months after being installed.
The Very Rev Janet Henderson became only the second woman dean in Wales' history when she took on the role in March.
But last night the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan confirmed he had accepted her resignation with immediate effect.
The Church in Wales is set to discuss the ordination of women priests as bishops during a two day meeting in Lampeter which starts later.
144 members from the Church in Wales will be separated into seven groups to consider two papers – one outlining the case for the ordination of women and one setting out the case against.
In April 2008 the Bench of Bishops sponsored a Bill proposing that women be enabled to be ordained as bishops but the Bill was declared lost after it failed to achieve support by the necessary two-thirds majority.
A further two-stage Bill ordaining women as bishops will be introduced to the Governing Body in September.
Last year a vote by the Church of England for the ordination of women bishops was narrowly rejected.
The Church in Wales says it's facing a £70 million bill over the next five years just to maintain its buildings.
Parishes like Colwyn in North Wales have been forced to shut some churches. Others are being sold off.
Rob Shelley has more.
Some churches are in a very poor state of repair, whilst others are being sold off. Is there a crisis facing some of our oldest buildings?
Read the full storyRev Phil Atack, Vicar of Colwyn, says people are amazed when he tells them how much it costs to keep the church running.
The Church in Wales will need to spend £70 million to maintain all the buildings they own across Wales over the next five years.Some church are in a very poor state of reapir, whilst others are being sold off and turned into houses.
Bishops of the Church in Wales have responded to the UK Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage.
Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken out in support of gay marriage and the Government is consulting on whether to allow same-sex couples to marry in a civil ceremony.
– UK Government equal civil marriage consultationThe Government proposes to enable same-sex couples to marry through civil ceremonies, retain the option of civil partnerships for same-sex couples including the ability to have a civil partnership registration on religious premises but retaining the ban on religious elements forming part of the registration, allow transsexual people to change their legal gender without having to legally end their existing marriage or civil partnership, allow couples currently in a civil partnership the option of converting it into a civil marriage, and make no changes to how religious marriages are solemnised.
No changes to how religious marriages are solemnised have been proposed.
In a statement, the Church in Wales said provisions for recognising and supporting gay relationships already exist and that the Government's proposals would not add to these but 'raise the dangers of significant confusion'.
The Church in Wales also expressed concerns that the consultation document does not mention them - instead referring to the Church of England.
They stressed that they want the UK Government to include the Church in Wales in any provisions made for the Church of England.
– Church in Wales statementThe Church in Wales is committed to providing pastoral care and support to all who commit themselves to the important task of maintaining exemplary and faithful relationships, and nurturing family life. Arrangements for recognising and supporting these relationships are to be welcomed, but such provision already exists, and beyond raising the dangers of significant confusion and debate, the current proposals do not add to these provisions.
