http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9740275/Gay-marriage-Church-of-England-signals-it-could-live-with-Government-plans.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9738576/Churches-face-challenge-on-same-sex-unions.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9743058/Britain-is-getting-a-glimpse-of-the-crazy-world-of-culture-wars.html
Church of England has said it may allow gay marriage in future.
It came as the Church signalled acceptance of the Government’s plans to allow gay couples to marry as long as churches are not forced to perform the ceremonies.
It came as the Church signalled acceptance of the Government’s plans to allow gay couples to marry as long as churches are not forced to perform the ceremonies.
Church officials have acknowledged that they could potentially “live with”
the proposals drawn up by Government lawyers to prevent churches facing human
rights challenges to force them to conduct weddings for homosexual couples.
It comes in marked contrast to claims earlier this year that same-sex
marriage could pose the biggest threat to its position as the established church
since the reformation.
The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has made clear that he
is opposed to same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile the House of Lords heard on claim that several bishops secretly
support the principle of gay marriage but are afraid to speak out because it
would contradict the official policy of the Church.
Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, outlined a “quadruple lock” system of
legal protections for churches as she unveiled the Coalitions plans for “equal
marriage” earlier this week.
She told the Commons that any legislation would explicitly state that it would be “illegal” for the Church of England to conduct same-sex weddings even if they become law in the country.
But in its first official response to the announcement, the Church issued a statement dismissing the idea that this meant it would be “banned” from carrying out same-sex weddings if it chose to.
Such an assumption was “based on a misunderstanding” of the Church of England's legal status.
“This is not a question of the Government and Parliament imposing a prohibition or ‘ban’ on what the Church of England can do,” it said in a lengthy statement drafted on advice from canon lawyers.
“The effect of what the Government has proposed is to leave decisions about the doctrine and practice of the Church of England with the Church of England.”
It went on to explain that the Church would be free to carry out same-sex weddings if the General Synod approved a change to Church law.
Such a change would have to be rubber-stamped by Parliament but would not even require the Government to legislation, officials added.
Despite high profile opposition to same-sex marriage, the Church’s emphasis in recent days has been on securing legal exclusions for churches.
Asked whether the Church would be able to live with the arrangements the Government now proposes, one senior official simply sighed and said: “We’re the Church of England.”
They added: “The Church of England has lived survived various other things in the past – the civil war for example.”
An official spokesman added: “The Church of England has survived various other changes in the past but our concern remains about the redefinition of marriage not about the rights and responsibilities of gay couples.”
Speaking in the House of lords, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the former Bishop of Oxford, said that many bishops not only accept the protections the Government proposes but would actively support gay marriage.
He said many Church members “warmly welcome” the Government’s plans, adding: “A fair number of individual bishops in the Church of England also support it, but are not able to say so publicly at the moment because of the political situation in which the Church of England now finds itself?”
So far only the Bishop of Salisbury and the Bishop of Buckingham have openly supported gay marriage.
She told the Commons that any legislation would explicitly state that it would be “illegal” for the Church of England to conduct same-sex weddings even if they become law in the country.
But in its first official response to the announcement, the Church issued a statement dismissing the idea that this meant it would be “banned” from carrying out same-sex weddings if it chose to.
Such an assumption was “based on a misunderstanding” of the Church of England's legal status.
“This is not a question of the Government and Parliament imposing a prohibition or ‘ban’ on what the Church of England can do,” it said in a lengthy statement drafted on advice from canon lawyers.
“The effect of what the Government has proposed is to leave decisions about the doctrine and practice of the Church of England with the Church of England.”
It went on to explain that the Church would be free to carry out same-sex weddings if the General Synod approved a change to Church law.
Such a change would have to be rubber-stamped by Parliament but would not even require the Government to legislation, officials added.
Despite high profile opposition to same-sex marriage, the Church’s emphasis in recent days has been on securing legal exclusions for churches.
Asked whether the Church would be able to live with the arrangements the Government now proposes, one senior official simply sighed and said: “We’re the Church of England.”
They added: “The Church of England has lived survived various other things in the past – the civil war for example.”
An official spokesman added: “The Church of England has survived various other changes in the past but our concern remains about the redefinition of marriage not about the rights and responsibilities of gay couples.”
Speaking in the House of lords, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, the former Bishop of Oxford, said that many bishops not only accept the protections the Government proposes but would actively support gay marriage.
He said many Church members “warmly welcome” the Government’s plans, adding: “A fair number of individual bishops in the Church of England also support it, but are not able to say so publicly at the moment because of the political situation in which the Church of England now finds itself?”
So far only the Bishop of Salisbury and the Bishop of Buckingham have openly supported gay marriage.
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