However, The Daily Telegraph has learned that the bishops are divided, with liberals complaining that the proposals will demean women and institutionalise schism. The traditionalist bishops say the plan does not go far enough to protect their constituency.

A key premise of the proposals, though not spelt out in the draft plan, is that the Archbishop of Canterbury would have to agree to give up his role of consecrating women and delegate the task to another bishop.

"Due to the gravity of the attempt to declare the removal of the Bishop and the declaration of excommunication of members of the diocesan clergy, and the extremely slow pace at which the Panel of Reference is operating, a great gap has been created exposing a need for the bishop and clergy of Recife to receive ongoing recognition and some measure of spiritual covering.

The Traditional Anglican Communion's worldwide primate, Archbishop John Hepworth, hopes the group's College of Bishops will approve the plan at a possible Rome Synod in February 2006.

The church's members are so far reported to be unanimous in their desire for full communion. If formally agreed, the proposal would then be presented to Vatican officials.

"We recognise, of course, the need for fair and equal treatment before the law for all people," he said. However, Christians need to be very concerned indeed at the assertion of moral equivalence between marriage and civil partnerships. They are not of equal moral standing.

He added that Christians have a unique role to teach others about the sanctity of the traditional family.