On Thursday, the Church of England’s governing council approved proposals to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, following hours of contentious debate that exposed significant animosities within the Anglican Communion.
Following an eight-hour debate over two days, the Church’s General Synod, which consists of hundreds of elected members and convenes two or three times a year, overwhelmingly supported the recommendations.
At a vote taken during the Church of England Synod gathering in central London, a total of 250 bishops, clergy, and laypeople voted in favour of the reforms, while 181 disagreed with them and 10 abstained.
The ideas, which were unveiled last month after nearly six years of internal deliberation, will not alter the regulations prohibiting Anglican priests from presiding at same-sex marriages.
Synod members supported an amendment endorsing that stance, while also voting in favour of the proposal to allow blessings for civil marriages or civil partnerships in a church.
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They also recognised “the failure of the Church to be welcoming” to LGBTQ people, following an unprecedented apology last month by bishops for the “hostile and homophobic response” they have sometimes faced.
But the moves have sparked a backlash from progressive Anglicans who say the Church is not going far enough, and from critics arguing any changes are divisive and unwelcome.
Bishop of London Sarah Mullally welcomed the Synod’s backing for the changes, and acknowledged the splits with the Anglican church in Britain and beyond.
“I recognise that there are those who are deeply thankful for this and there are those who are hurting,” she said, vowing to “be mindful of the deep divisions” going forward.
“These divisions on these questions go to the heart of our human identity,” Mullally noted.
“I and the archbishops hope that today’s thoughtful, prayerful debate marks a new beginning for the Church as we seek to go forward, listening to each other.”
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The Church of England has been under political pressure to reform its approach to same-sex marriage ever since it became legal in England and Wales in 2013.
Although dozens of other countries have legalised same-sex unions, homosexuality remains banned in many parts of the world.
That includes in highly religious and conservative countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which help make up the Anglican Communion of 43 Churches in 165 countries.
Anglicanism boasts around 85 million members and is the third-largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
AFP
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