Libby Lane just broke one giant glass ceiling—the 48-year-old reverend has become the first female bishop in the history of the Church of England.
She was officially ordained as the Bishop of Stockport on Monday in front of more than 1,000 people, the BBC reports. Fellow bishops laid hands on her and prayed during the emotional ceremony, and she was greeted to thunderous applause.
Not everyone was happy about the move, though: Reverend Paul Williamson interrupted the ceremony by shouting "No, not in the Bible!" when the Archbishop of York asked the room if she should be ordained. "He's got the right to protest," a church spokesman said, "but the contrast was between a lone voice protesting and a sea of voices affirming." Roman Catholic bishops, who frequently attend these Anglican ceremonies, were also noticeably absent, The Guardian notes.
Bishop Lane was not raised in a religious household, but found her way into a church group after a friend invited her, according to The Telegraph. She knew she wanted to be a priest by the time she was in her teens, even though it wasn't allowed at the time. She studied theology at Oxford, and she became one of the first women to train for the priesthood in British history after it was opened to women in 1992.
She met her future husband, George, while they were at Oxford, and they were ordained as priests together in 1994. After having two kids, she left the workforce for a few years, but then quickly ascended the ranks once she went back to work.
Lane represents a church that's finally modernizing since its inception in 1534. And not only does she signify a sea change about gender, but also one about pop culture in general—her sermon revolved around the BBC series Call the Midwife.
You should also check out:
Surprise Surprise: Republican Men Don't Want a Female President
-
Sofia Richie Grainge Styles Zebra Pants With Flip-FlopsNext stop on the tour: her elegant wedding venue in the South of France.
-
Gigi Hadid Pairs Metallic Track Pants and Mesh FlatsThe controversial shoe trend is most definitely gaining steam.
-
Body Language Expert Says Kate Can't "Mask Her Emotions""We also saw William...mirroring the same emotions as Kate."
-
36 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to MenFeatures It's just one of the many ways women still aren't equal to men.
-
EMILY's List President Laphonza Butler Has Big Plans for the OrganizationUnder Butler's leadership, the largest resource for women in politics aims to expand Black political power and become more accessible for candidates across the nation.
-
Want to Fight for Abortion Rights in Texas? Raise Your Voice to State LegislatorsEmily Cain, executive director of EMILY's List and and former Minority Leader in Maine, says that to stop the assault on reproductive rights, we need to start demanding more from our state legislatures.
-
Your Abortion Questions, AnsweredHere, MC debunks common abortion myths you may be increasingly hearing since Texas' near-total abortion ban went into effect.
-
The Future of Afghan Women and Girls Depends on What We Do NextBetween the U.S. occupation and the Taliban, supporting resettlement for Afghan women and vulnerable individuals is long overdue.
-
How to Help Afghanistan Refugees and Those Who Need AidHow To With the situation rapidly evolving, organizations are desperate for help.
-
It’s Time to Give Domestic Workers the Protections They DeserveThe National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, reintroduced today, would establish a new set of standards for the people who work in our homes and take a vital step towards racial and gender equity.
-
The Biden Administration Announced It Will Remove the Hyde AmendmentThe pledge was just one of many gender equity commitments made by the administration, including the creation of the first U.S. National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence.
