▁and ▁ ▁Frank ▁P aken ham . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁deb ates ▁concern ▁the ▁ord ination ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁the ▁accept ance ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁within ▁the ▁church ▁and ▁cler gy . ▁The ▁established ▁church ▁continues ▁to ▁count ▁many ▁more ▁bapt ised ▁members , ▁although ▁imm igration ▁from ▁other ▁countries ▁means ▁that ▁the ▁restored ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁Wales ▁now ▁has ▁greater ▁attend ance ▁at ▁its ▁week ly ▁services . ▁ ▁Roman ▁C athol ics ▁English ▁Catholic ism ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁throughout ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁third s ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁associated ▁primarily ▁with ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁intellectual ▁class ▁and ▁the ▁eth nic ▁Irish ▁population . ▁R ates ▁of ▁att ending ▁Mass ▁remained ▁very ▁high ▁in ▁stark ▁contrast ▁with ▁the ▁Ang lic an ▁church ▁and ▁Protest ant ▁churches . ▁C ler gy ▁numbers , ▁which ▁began ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁at ▁under ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 , ▁reached ▁a ▁high ▁of ▁ 7 , 5 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁latter ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁low ▁numbers ▁of ▁voc ations ▁also ▁affected ▁the ▁church ▁with ▁ordin ations ▁to ▁the ▁priest hood ▁dro pping ▁from ▁the ▁hundreds ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁into ▁the ▁te ens ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 1 1 ▁( 1 6 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁for ▁example )