Church Of England Allows Blessings For Same-Sex Civil Marriages

The Church of England It stated that it would allow the blessing of same-sex married couples, but not its priests to officiate such-sex marriages in its churches.

After five years of heated debate, the Wednesday announcement was made “expected to be outlined in a report” ahead of the church’s General Synod that meets next month in London, per the Associated Press.

“This response reflects the diversity of views in the Church of England on questions of sexuality, relationships and marriage. I rejoice in that diversity and I welcome this way of reflecting it in the life of our church,” Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, is the spiritual leader in the Anglican Church. statement.

The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev’d Stephen Cottrell, also told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” That “it’s not same-sex marriage,” However, it was marked as a “real step forward” The church.

“What I want to emphasise is that with these proposals, people who have entered into a same-sex marriage or who are in a civil partnership will be welcomed into the Church at a service of dedication and acknowledgment of that relationship,” Cottrell joined. “That is a change from where we are at the moment.”

The church’s compromise position It will remain that “same-sex couples would still not be able to get married in a Church of England church, but could have a service in which there would be prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing on the couple in church following a civil marriage or partnership.”

The Bishops of England will issue an apology to LGBTQI+ persons over this announcement as part of their new announcement. “rejection, exclusion, and hostility” They were confronted in churches.

The Church of England will encourage all churches to accept same-sex couples. “unreservedly and joyfully,” It has been updated.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in the U.K. since 2013, but the church’s teaching has remained unchanged. The Church of England’s new position is in contradiction to the Church of Scotland, who already allows for same-sex weddings.

LGBT rights activists have argued that the church’s announcement is insufficient.

“The discrimination embedded into these proposals is what concerns me. It’s very clear that there is a clear distinction in their minds between holy matrimony and civil marriage and that distinction is what causes so many young LGBT people to feel second class,” Jayne Ozanne, a well-known LGBT rights activist, stated that, according to The Washington Post.

British evangelical leader Ian Paul argued the opposite. He said that although the decision will preserve the traditional definition of marriage it will lead to problems in the church’s calling for leaders. “bless” A marriage that does not follow church teachings.

“There is going to be no change to the doctrine of marriage. That’s very clear. But the waters have been muddied in quite an unhelpful way. Saying that the doctrine is not going to change and in the same breath saying we want to bless same-sex relationships is entirely incoherent, entirely contradictory,” He stated.