LONDON, January 18 (Portal) – The Church of England will oppose allowing same-sex couples to marry in its churches, amid proposals set out on Wednesday in which the century-old institution said it would stand by its doctrine that the marriage between them is a man and a woman.
The proposals were developed by bishops, who form one of three branches of the church’s governing body known as the General Synod, following the Church of England’s six-year consultation on sex and marriage – among other issues – and will be presented to the General Synod at a meeting next month.
The Church of England is at the heart of the broader Anglican communion, which represents more than 85 million people in over 165 countries.
“Same-sex couples could still not marry in a Church of England church,” said the statement, which confirmed a BBC report overnight that bishops had refused to support a doctrinal change that would allow priests to marrying homosexual couples.
According to the proposals, same-sex couples after a civil marriage could hold a church service at which “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving, or for God’s blessing upon the couple” would be said. Gay marriage was legalized in Britain in 2013.
Still, the prayers for clergy would be voluntary and could be used in combinations “that reflect the theological diversity of the church,” the Church of England said, meaning clergy leaders could choose not to offer such blessings.
“I have no illusions that what we are proposing today may seem too far for some and not nearly far enough for others, but I hope that what we have agreed will be received in a spirit of generosity , who seeks common good,” said Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Separately, later this week Church of England bishops will apologize to LGBTQI+ people for the “rejection, marginalization and hostility” they have faced in churches, the statement said.
The Church of England, founded in 1534, has been at odds for years over how to deal with same-sex marriages. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists fight for the same rights as straight Christians.
To address the contentious issue, Welby last year called on bishops to “abound in love for all,” though he supported the validity of a 1998 resolution that “rejected homosexual practices as inconsistent with Scripture.”
(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 5.)
Reporting by Muvija M; Edited by William James and Mark Heinrich
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