They would, however, consider returning if conservative Anglicans got their own, independent province.

At their most specific, they might include 30 percent of the population -Roman Catholics, Anglo-Catholics, conservative Anglicans, free thinkers and religious skeptics.

October saw the first anniversary of Benedict XVI's historic - and hugely contentious - offer to accommodate conservative Anglicans who could not accept the ministry of women bishops.

There have been a number of breakaway groups established by conservative Anglicans who see the ordination of women as representative of a trend away from traditional or orthodox doctrine.

The two men were from United States and the intention was that they would serve as bishops for conservative Anglicans disillusioned by the liberal direction of the Episcopal Church.

Many conservative former Anglicans have turned to the Archdiocese as a jurisdiction, some joining and leading Western Rite parishes with liturgy more familiar to Western Christians.

A group of conservative Anglicans has called on the Anglican Communion, which oversees 79 million Anglicans worldwide, to create a second province for the church in the United States.

But now conservative Anglicans are saying that the era of collegial coexistence is over.

Several conservative Anglicans said in interviews last week that they were confident that Archbishop Williams had already sought to resolve the crisis by asking Bishop-elect Robinson to step aside.

James II, however, during his reign fought for a broadly tolerant religious settlement under which his co-religionists could prosper-a position anathema to conservative Anglicans.