Church of England synod will ‘joyfully’ welcome same-sex couples as it votes in favour of blessings

Priests will be allowed to bless same-sex couples
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The Church of England’s general synod has voted in favour of offering blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages in a near-eight hour debate across two days. However, the position on gay marriage will not change and same-sex couples will still be unable to marry in church. Last month the Church of England’s bishops refused to back a change that would allow priests to marry same-sex couples.

The bishops met to finalise recommendations after five years of consultation and debate on the Church’s position on sexuality, according to the BBC.

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The broadcaster said it spoke with several bishops at the meeting who said the Church teaching that Holy Matrimony exists only between one man and one woman would not change.

However, on Thursday (9 February) the debate ended in a vote for the proposals. The motion also included an acknowledgement of a “failure” to welcome LGBTQI+ people and a repentance for the harm they have and continue to experience in the church.

In a vote broken down by houses, the House of Bishops voted 36 for and four against with two abstentions.

The House of Clergy voted 111 in favour, 85 against and three abstentions, while the House of Laity saw 103 votes for, 92 against and five abstentions.

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The result was described as a “moment of hope for the Church” by the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, while Mr Welby issued a joint statement with the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, to say it had been a “long road to get us to this point”.

The archbishops added: “For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church.

“The church continues to have deep differences on these questions which go to the heart of our human identity.

“As Archbishops, we are committed to respecting the conscience of those for whom this goes too far and to ensure that they have all the reassurances they need in order to maintain the unity of the church as this conversation continues.”

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Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, but the Church did not change its teaching when the law changed.

The Church of Scotland, The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland voted in May at its General Assembly to allow parish ministers and deacons to marry same-sex couples if they wish.

Approval of the motion allows same-sex couples to go to Anglican churches after a legal marriage ceremony for services including prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and God’s blessing. However, the blessings will not come into effect immediately as bishops need to issue new pastoral guidance - something expected to happen by the July synod.

Church of England synod vote to back same-sex blessingsChurch of England synod vote to back same-sex blessings
Church of England synod vote to back same-sex blessings

In August 2022, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, acknowledged that there are “deep differences” within the Church, as he faced criticism for reaffirming a 1998 Anglican declaration rejecting same-sex marriage.

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Comedian and television presenter Sandi Toksvig, who is gay, said the lives of LGBTQ+ people were “at stake” following the religious leader’s “horrible mistake” in reaffirming a resolution which stated that marriage is “between a man and a woman”, and that same-sex relationships are “incompatible with scripture”.

Mr Welby responded by saying that the Anglican Communion, of which the Church of England is part, is a “complicated group of churches” with “deep differences in many areas”.

But he told the Lambeth Conference, a meeting of Anglican bishops which took place this summer, that he could not and would not punish churches for conducting gay marriages.

In November, the Bishop of Oxford became the most senior cleric to call for change when he said the Church should allow same-sex marriage for both its congregation and its clergy.

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The Rt Rev Steven Croft said he wanted to acknowledge the “acute pain and distress of LGBTQ+ people in the life of the Church”.

In a lengthy essay, the bishop said he was sorry that the church has been “so slow” to “reach better decisions and practice on these matters” and apologised for his views being “slow to change”.

But the bishop also said clergy must have the option not to opt-in to any new arrangements, saying that it should be recognised that it is a “legitimate and honourable position” for those who want to keep a “traditional view of marriage and human sexuality”.

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