THE synod of The Murray, one of four Australian dioceses that had opposed women priests, has voted overwhelmingly for their ordination.

Meeting earlier this month, the Synod voted by 57-4, without debate, to adopt the 1992 General Synod canon providing for women priests. The Bishop, the Rt Revd Keith Dalby, formerly a rector in Sydney, immediately signed the canon into law.

The Murray is a small regional conservative Anglo-Catholic diocese in South Australia, which had close links to the diocese of Sydney because of its previous opposition to women clergy.

The Murray adopted the 1985 General Synod canon for women deacons only in 2016, and was the last Australian diocese to do so. There are now four women deacons in the diocese. The first ordination of women priests is expected to happen quite soon, believes the Ven. Peter Sandeman, who moved the adoption of the canon. He said that the move answered the long-held hopes of many in the diocese.

This leaves just three Australian dioceses where women are not ordained to the priesthood: Sydney and the two regional dioceses of Armidale and North-West Australia, both closely aligned with Sydney.