The Church of England has refused to deny that its most senior bishops held secret discussions with their Vatican counterparts this weekend in an historic union to topple the controversial Anglican push to admit gay unions and the ordination of women bishops. In an unprecedented turn of events, a handful of Pope Benedict XVI's most trusted advisers are believed to have met senior Anglican Bishops in York over the weekend to build closer inter-church ties - and to stymie the liberalisation of significant traditions.

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