Feb 2014
Church of
England priests will not be allowed to bless gay and lesbian weddings, or marry
someone of the same sex themselves, according to new guidelines issued by the church,
which is struggling to heal divides over homosexuality.
Same-sex
marriage becomes legal in England next month, posing a dilemma for the Church
of England, which is the mother church of the world's 80 million Anglicans and
maintains that marriage is between a man and a woman.
England and
Wales legalized secular same-sex civil partnerships in 2005. A church working
group suggested last year that clergy allow gay and lesbian couples to mark and
celebrate marriages held under the new legislation, as well as civil
partnerships, in a religious service.
But after
meetings last week, the church's bishops released guidelines that ruled out any
kind of blessing for gay marriages. Instead, they said, clergy could offer an
informal prayer at their discretion and at the request of the couple.
"Services
of blessing should not be provided. Clergy should respond pastorally and
sensitively in other ways," said the guidance from the House of Bishops.
The
Anglican Communion, which links Anglicans across and beyond the
English-speaking world, has been split for years over gay rights and Biblical
authority, especially since its U.S. branch,
the Episcopal Church, ordained a
gay bishop in 2003.
African traditionalists
are strongly opposed to growing acceptance of homosexuality in the Anglican
Communion and to a Church of England proposal for "facilitated
conversations" on homosexuality.
The House
of Bishops — one of three parts of the church's General Synod — also said
people in a same-sex marriage should not be ordained as bishops, priests, and
deacons, nor should those in the ministry enter gay marriage.
"The
House is not willing for those who are in a same-sex marriage to be ordained to
any of the three orders of ministry," the bishops said. "In addition,
it considers that it would not be appropriate conduct for someone in holy
orders to enter into a same-sex marriage."
The
legislation already forbids the Church of England and its sister Church in Wales
from conducting same-sex marriages, although other religious groups can opt in
if they want.
The British
parliament passed laws last year to allow gay marriages from 2014 in England
and Wales. Scotland followed suit this month, becoming the 17th country to
allow same-sex marriages.
Copies of
the guidelines were sent to bishops and archbishops in other Anglican churches
around the world, accompanied by a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu.
They acknowledged
the divisions in the church on homosexuality but said same-sex marriage was a
"new reality" with implications for the Church of England that had to
be discussed and addressed.