Church of England rejects report barring gay marriage

LONDON: The Church of England’s General Synod on Wednesday rejected a report which ruled out accepting homosexual marriage and had led to a gay rights protest outside the meeting of Anglican bishops.

The ‘ Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations’ report, released on January 27, had called for the traditional teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman to be upheld.

The report also reaffirmed the view that the clergy must remain celibate if in a same- sex relationship and that they should not be allowed to bless same- sex marriages.

But it did recommend ‘a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support’ for the LGBT community.

Participants in the Synod, the Church of England’s legislative body, agreed overall to ‘take note’ of the report, by 242 votes to 184.

But it was rejected under Synod rules because it failed to win a simple majority among clergy, despite being backed by bishops and laity. After the vote, the Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, said he hoped the Church of England would continue debating the topic.

“The Synod has declined to take note and so the report in its present form cannot come back to Synod for discussion, though we will still have to find a way forward for the wider discussion,” he said.

The issue of same- sex unions has long strained ties within the estimated 85-million-member Anglican Communion, which includes more liberal members from countries such as the US and Britain, and conservatives from countries such as Nigeria and Kenya.

Ahead of the vote 50 protesters called on bishops not to acknowledge the report, saying the concessions offered were not enough. — AFP