The Church of England has ended centuries of male-only leadership and consecrated its first female bishop at a grand ceremony in York cathedral.
Dozens of clergymen crowded around to lay their hands on the 48-year-old Libby Lane's head and pronounced the prayer making her a new bishop in front of 2000 people.
The congregation broke into applause and cheers echoed through the Gothic cathedral in northern England, although a lone heckler had earlier briefly disrupted the ceremony on Monday.
"Send down the Holy Spirit on your servant Libby for the office and work of a bishop in your Church," Archbishop of York John Sentamu prayed.
Lane, dressed in black, white and violet vestments, swore oaths of allegiance and canonical obedience during the two-hour ceremony also attended by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Church of England.
When asked whether they wanted her to become bishop, the congregation responded "It is!", but one man was heard shouting: "No, it's not in the Bible!"
Moderates hope the move will be the start of a new chapter for the Church as it struggles for relevance in a multicultural society where only six per cent of the population regularly attends an act of worship.
But her appointment is strongly opposed by traditionalists, who believe the Bible teaches that the clergy's top rung is no place for a woman.
Lane admitted she was daunted by the challenge ahead of her, saying in an interview released by the Church that she was "aware that what I say and do will be heard by millions".
"If my appointment encourages a single young girl to lift her eyes up a bit and to realise she has capacity and potential and that those around her don't need to dictate what is possible, then I would be really honoured," she added.
The Church of England is seen as the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has some 85 million followers in 165 countries.
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