The Church of England has announced that it is open to appointing gay men in civil partnerships as bishops, as long as their gay union is “celibate.” The decision came on the heels of an equally controversial decision in November 2012 that the church would not approve women as bishops. The worldwide Anglican communion has struggled with the issue of homosexuality for a decade, starting with the 2003 election of the openly gay priest Gene Robinson as the bishop of New Hampshire.

Observers see England’s new policy as a response to the case of Rev. Jeffrey John, a gay priest also nominated in 2003 to serve as the Bishop of Reading. John withdrew his candidacy because of the controversy his appointment created. In 2006, John and his...