Vatican City- The Vatican said Tuesday it had "regretfully" learned of the decision by the Church of England to approve the ordaining of women bishops.

The move represented "a further obstacle for the reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England," the Vatican's Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity said in a statement.

Late Monday the Church of England's ruling body, the General Synod, voted to confirm the ordination of women as bishops.

The decision came 15 years after the Church of England - in a move condemned by the Vatican - began the ordination of women priests in England and Wales.

"The Catholic position on the issue was clearly expressed by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II," the Vatican statement said Tuesday.

Both pontiffs cited Jesus' choice of only males as apostles as the reason why women should be excluded from the priesthood - a position upheld by Pope Benedict XVI.

Instead, Monday's decision by the Church of England, "signifies a breaking away from the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the churches since the first millennium," the Vatican statement said.

On Monday, the Church of England General Synod, meeting in York, northern England, also voted for the introduction of a "code of practice" that would allow traditionalist male clergy and parishes to "call in a man" if they objected to serving under a woman bishop.

This move was aimed at placating some 1,300 clergy who had threatened to leave the church if safeguards were not agreed to reassure traditionalists opposed to women bishops.

The Church of England, the main Protestant denomination in England and Wales, is the hub of the worldwide Anglican Communion of 78 million. (dpa)