Jeffrey John says his 27-year relationship is now sexless

The Bishop of Leicester, Timothy Stevens, said the time had come for the two factions to discuss the issue privately - a process which would take a long time.

He is one of eight Anglican bishops who have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, saying the selection of Canon Jeffrey John has their full confidence.

Dr John's appointment has been described as "catastrophic" for the Church of England by evangelical and conservative opponents.

On Saturday, the Rt Rev Stevens told BBC News he regretted the way the debate had been conducted.

We're talking about people who are seeking to listen to the Word of God rather than the voice of culture Reverend David Bunting Reform Head to head

"A number of us feel that we all now need to get back to the serious discussion in which we try to discern God's will for us and that's going to take a long time.

"This will be best done out of the glare of the media, which is where we need to be for the next few years as we try to work this one out."

His words follow intense media coverage of the row since a group of nine bishops wrote a letter to the Times at the start of the week, opposing Dr John's appointment.

Dr John has been in a relationship with a man for 27 years but says he is now celibate.

'Catastrophic'

On Friday, a group of evangelical and conservative Angelicans met the Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries, who selected Dr John, in a final attempt to try to change his mind.

After the meeting, both Bishop Harries and Dr Philip Giddings, spokesman for the opposing Church representatives, made live statements on BBC News 24.

Dr Giddings said the appointment would be "catastrophic in terms of the unity of the Church of England", while Bishop Harries declared his "unswerving" support for Dr John.

Gay bishop defends relationship

Dr John has himself made public statements about his relationship, both to the Times and on the Diocese of Oxford website.

On the website, he described his "life partnership" as a "gift and vocation from God".

In their letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the eight mainly liberal bishops supporting Dr John said his promotion will enrich Church debate about homosexuality.

The Bishop of Hereford, John Oliver, who is one of the eight signatories, said Dr John's lifestyle was fully compatible with the position the Church had agreed 12 years ago.

Fighting on

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Bishop Oliver said: "Dr John made a very careful, very full and very moving statement two days ago in which he made it quite clear that he was fully in line with what the nine bishops were asking for.

"We [the Church] recognise that for some people to be in a loving, faithful and exclusive same sex relationship is the best thing that they can do.

"We made a distinction between what it was appropriate for lay people to do and clergy to do and we required clergy to be celibate but they can still be in a loving, faithful same sex friendship."

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott says the letter to Dr Williams seems intended to dispel any impression Dr John's appointment had met general hostility in a church dominated by conservatives and evangelicals.

Dr John's opponents, who number 80 clergy and 20 leading laity within the diocese of Oxford, have also promised to take their fight to Dr Williams.