Church of England To Bless Gay Marriages, But Says No To Same-Sex Marriage Inside Churches

On Wednesday, the Church of England reiterated that its ban on same-sex couples being allowed to marry in its churches would continue.

The church, however, will now for the first time allow its churches to bless same-sex marriage.

Under the proposals, which follows six-years of “listening, learning and discernment” called Living in Love and Faith, “same-sex couples would still not be able to get married in a Church of England church.”

The proposals went on to state that same-sex couples “could have a service in which there would be prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing on the couple in church following a civil marriage or partnership.”

Apology To Be Issued For ‘Rejection, Exclusion and Hostility’

A statement from the church read, “The Bishops of the Church of England will be issuing an apology later this week to LGBTQI+ people for the ‘rejection, exclusion and hostility’ they have faced in churches and the impact this has had on their lives.”

Talking about the proposals, the archbishop of Canterbury, and the leader of the Church of England, Justin Welby said, “I am under no illusions that what we are proposing today will appear to go too far for some and not nearly far enough for others.” 

He continued, “This response reflects the diversity of views in the Church of England on questions of sexuality, relationships and marriage. I rejoice in that diversity and I welcome this way of reflecting it in the life of our church.

“I hope it can offer a way for the Church of England, publicly and unequivocally, to say to all Christians and especially LGBTQI+ people, that you are welcome and a valued and precious part of the body of Christ.”

‘The Debate Is Absolutely Bound To Continue’

Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft, in an article published by the Guardian, reiterated, “The debate is absolutely bound to continue. For conservatives, this will be seen to have gone too far. And the calls for us to remove barriers to same-sex marriage in church will also continue.”

In November, Croft became the first bishop to fully back same-sex marriage.

From here, the proposals will be put into a report to the General Synod, which is the church’s national assembly, and be either approved or rejected.

The General Synod is scheduled to meet next month, in London, from February 6 to February 9.