The priests of the Church of England will be able – starting this summer – to impart blessings to civil marriages of same-sex couples: a historical vote on the part of its “parliament”, the General Synod, significantly changes the position of the Church towards homosexuality.
The debate lasted more than eight hours, after which the national assembly of the Church of England voted on the motion of the bishops: 250 in favor and 181 against. The proposal allows gay couples to appear before the priest after marriage or civil union to give thanks to God, dedicate their relationship to him and receive the religious blessing. Individual churches will now be asked to clearly state whether they will be imparting the blessings, to avoid confusion and disappointment. The synod also established that the Church will apologize for the harm it has caused and continues to cause to LGBTQ+ people.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “It has been a long road to get to this point. For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church. The Church continues to have profound differences on these issues, which go to the heart of our human identity. And, as Archbishops, we pledge to respect the consciences of those for whom this goes too far and to ensure they have all the reassurances they need to maintain the unity of the Church as this conversation continues.”
And again: “We hope that today’s thoughtful debate marks a new beginning for the Church as we seek a way forward, listening to one another and above all listening to God”.
The bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who led the debate and chairs the group that oversaw the development of the proposals, explained: «This it is a moment of hope for the Church. I know that the path we have proposed goes not far enough for many but too far for others. I pray that what was agreed today will be a step forward for all of us in the Church – including LGBTQI+ people – as we journey together. We have always said that we will listen carefully to the Synod, therefore in the coming months we will reflect on everything that has been said and prepare new pastoral guidelines for the Church in matters of sexuality and marriage”.
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Source: Vanity Fair
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