Lord Carey of Clifton told The Times that he was "appalled" that Dr Rowan
Williams only learned of Rome's intention to publish a new Apostolic
Constitution to allow the move two weeks ago.

"I think in this day and age, this was inexcusable that Rome decided to do
this without consultation.

"He should express his unhappiness with the process."

He said that he was taken by surprise by the development although he admitted
that he had been aware of "a number of bishops going to Rome and having
conversations".

But he told the newspaper that the move was "worth considering."

"There are a number of deeply worried, anxious Anglo-Catholics who do not
believe they have a constructive future with the Church of England with the
ordination of women as bishops.

He added: "This could go a long way to helping."

Hundreds of Church of England priests who oppose the ordination of women have
been meeting yesterday and today and are expected to discuss the issue.

Forward in Faith will hear from a number of Bishops as part of their annual
conference including a keynote address from Rt Rev John Hind, the Bishop of
Chichester who has staunchly resisted the move.

The Vatican said earlier this week it would allow groups of Anglican clergy
and faithful who wished to enter into full communion to do so while
preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical
life.

Traditionalists within the Church of England have previously warned they might
leave over issues such as the consecration of women bishops and gay priests.

But Dr Williams, speaking after he announced the move in a news conference on
Tuesday, insisted the development did not damage relations between the two
churches.

"I do not think this constitution will be seen as in any sense a commentary on
Anglican problems offered by The Vatican.

"It is a response to this range of requests and inquiries from a very broad
variety of people, either Anglican or of Anglican heritage, in that sense it
has no negative impact on the relations of the communion as a whole to the
Roman Catholic church as a whole."

Under the terms of the new Constitution, groupings of Anglicans would be able
to join so-called "personal ordinariates" allowing them to become Roman
Catholics but at the same time preserve elements of the Anglican traditions
including the possible use of Anglican prayer books.

Dr Williams said: "For, I suppose, rather more than 150 years, more or less
significant numbers of Anglicans have entered into visible Communion with
the Roman Catholic Church.

"There have been times when that number has been large, times when it has been
small, times when it has been the effect of a particular crisis in the life
of the Anglican Church and times when it hasn't.

"I do not see this as, in that sense, anything new. The Roman Catholic Church
has responded over that period in rather diverse ways but it would not occur
to me to see this as an act of aggression, a statement of no confidence,
precisely because the routine relationships that we enjoy as churches
continue."