Current:Home > ScamsChurch of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church-InfoLens
Church of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church
View Date:2024-12-23 11:41:46
LONDON (AP) — Church of England priests offered officially sanctioned blessings of same-sex partnerships for the first time on Sunday, though a ban on church weddings for gay couples remains in place amid deep divisions within global Anglicanism over marriage and sexuality.
In one of the first ceremonies, the Rev. Catherine Bond and the Rev. Jane Pearce had their union blessed at St John the Baptist church, in Felixstowe, eastern England, where both are associate priests.
The couple knelt in front of Canon Andrew Dotchin, who held their heads as he gave “thanks for Catherine and Jane, to the love and friendship they share, and their commitment to one another as they come before you on this day.”
The church’s national assembly voted in February to allow clergy to bless the unions of same-sex couples who have had civil weddings or partnerships. The words used for the blessings, known as prayers of love and faith, were approved by the church’s House of Bishops on Tuesday and used for the first time on Sunday.
The compromise was struck following five years of discussions about the church’s position on sexuality. Church leaders offered an apology for the church’s failure to welcome LGBTQ people, but also endorsed the doctrine that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Clergy won’t be required to perform same-sex blessings if they disagree with them.
The blessings can be used in regular church services. The church’s governing body has also drawn up a plan for separate “services of prayer and dedication” for same-sex couples that would resemble weddings, but it has not yet been formally approved.
Public opinion surveys consistently show that a majority of people in England support same-sex marriage, which has been legal since 2013. The church didn’t alter its teaching on marriage when the law changed.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said he won’t personally bless any same-sex couples because it’s his job to unify the world’s 85 million Anglicans. Welby is the spiritual leader of both the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion of which it is a member.
Several Anglican bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific said after the February decision that they no longer recognize Welby as their leader.
veryGood! (451)
Related
- When does 'Dune: Prophecy' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch prequel series
- Max Verstappen has a ‘monster’ to tame in Baku as Red Bull’s era of F1 dominance comes under threat
- Influencer Suellen Carey Divorces Herself After Becoming Exhausted During One-Year Marriage
- A strike would add to turbulent times at Boeing
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Man serving life for teen girl’s killing dies in Michigan prison
- Linebacker at Division II West Virginia State fatally shot on eve of game against previous school
- Apalachee High School suspect kept gun in backpack, hid in bathroom, officials say
- Cold case arrest: Florida man being held in decades-old Massachusetts double murder
- Utility ordered to pay $100 million for its role in Ohio bribery scheme
Ranking
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- Police recover '3D-printed gun parts,' ammo from Detroit home; 14-year-old arrested
- Father of slain Ohio boy asks Trump not to invoke his son in immigration debate
- Why Ali Krieger Isn't Revealing Identity of Her New Girlfriend After Ashlyn Harris Split
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Principal indicted, accused of not reporting alleged child abuse by Atlantic City mayor
- Powerball winning numbers for September 11: Jackpot rises to $134 million
- Is sesame oil good for you? Here’s why you should pick it up at your next grocery haul.
Recommendation
-
Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn ends retirement, plans to return to competition
-
Nicole Kidman Speaks Out After Death of Her Mom Janelle Kidman
-
Powerball winning numbers for September 11: Jackpot rises to $134 million
-
Measure to repeal Nebraska’s private school funding law should appear on the ballot, court rules
-
Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
-
Tennessee judge rules gun control questions can go on Memphis ballot
-
Actor Chad McQueen, son of Steve McQueen, dies at 63
-
Judge tosses some counts in Georgia election case against Trump and others