In its national assembly this week, the General Synod of the Church of England voted to allow women to be ordained as bishops. They also made a less controversial, but more unusual, decision: to remove mentions of “the devil” from church services. In its national assembly this week, the General Synod of the Church of England voted to allow women to be ordained as bishops. They also made a less controversial, but more unusual, decision: to remove mentions of “the devil” from church services.