LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) – The Church of England will refuse to allow same-sex couples to marry in its churches under proposals made on Wednesday in which the centuries-old institution said it would stick to its teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman.
The proposals were drawn up by bishops, who form one of the three parts of the Church’s governing body known as General Synod, following the Church of England’s six-year consultation on sexuality and marriage – among other topics – and will be presented to General Synod when it meets next month.
The Church of England is central to the wider Anglican Communion, which represents more than 85 million people in over 165 countries.
“Same-sex couples will still not be able to marry in a Church of England church,” the statement said, confirming a BBC report last night that bishops had refused to back a change in doctrine to allow priests to marry gay couples.
According to the proposals, same-sex couples could have a service in which there are “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing on the couple” in the church after a civil marriage. Gay marriage was legalized in Britain in 2013.
Still, the prayers will be voluntary for clergy to use and can be used in combinations “reflecting the theological diversity of the Church,” the Church of England said, meaning spiritual leaders can choose not to offer such blessings.
“I am under no illusions that what we propose today will be seen as going too far for some and not far enough for others, but I hope that what we have agreed will be received in a spirit of generosity, seeking the general good,” said Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Separately, Church of England bishops will issue an apology later this week to LGBTQI+ people for the “rejection, exclusion and hostility” they have faced in churches, according to the statement.
The Church of England, which was founded in 1534, has been divided for years over how to handle same-sex marriage, with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists fighting for the same rights as heterosexual Christians.
Seeking to address the contentious issue, Welby last year urged bishops to “abound in love for all”, even as he supported the validity of a resolution passed in 1998 which rejected “homosexual practice as incompatible with Holy Scripture”.
(This story has been revised to correct a typographical error in paragraph 5)
Reporting by Muvia M; Editing by William James and Mark Heinrich
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