A FORMER Archbishop of York has joined the row over women priests and spoken out against the tactics of one side in the debate.

Lord Habgood, who lives at The Mount, Malton, has accused the Group For The Rescinding Of The Act Of Synod (GRAS) of being "hectoring" and "insulting" in an advert in the Church Times which accuses traditionalists of sexism.

In an article written for the March issue of Forward In Faith's journal, New Directions, Lord Habgood said he deplored the tone of the advert.

His comment comes less than two weeks after the present Archbishop of York, David Hope, warned that removing the Act of Synod, which offers protection to the opponents of women priests, would trigger a new crisis for the Church of England.

Lord Habgood, who was Archbishop of York for 12 years until his retirement in 1995, was well-known as being a liberal during his time as the northern Primate. He was responsible for piloting the Act of Synod through the General Synod, the Church's parliament.

The Act was seen as a vital compromise which maintained the unity of the church when the ordination of women became a reality.

Lord Habgood has now warned that for the good of the church, both opponents and supporters of women priests must avoid a hardening of attitudes.

He said: "Nothing of any value is achieved either by slanging matches or by a stubborn refusal to learn from experience."

He added: "The advertisement by GRAS, with its hectoring tone and insulting remarks, is not going to help those targeted by it to evaluate sympathetically whether the actual impact of women priests on the Church of England has been positive or negative."

Updated: 10:48 Tuesday, March 16, 2004