The Church of England’s governing body has narrowly voted to back a special service to bless same-sex couples on a trial basis but, underlining deep divisions on the topic, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he had abstained.
The CoE — central to the entire Anglican Communion of 85 million believers in 165 countries — does not allow same-sex marriage, sticking to its teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman.
But the church has struggled with ways to make people in the LGBTQ community feel more welcome, and it apologized in January for the “hostile and homophobic backlash” it faced from some.
Wednesday afternoon’s vote, following years of often tortured debate, agreed that the trial service should be “soon introduced” the Church of England said, without specifying a date.
The bishop still has to give final approval to the prayer in the service, which is experimental and not final, settled church policy.
After heated debate, the Church of England has agreed to accept special blessings for same-sex couples on trial. Getty Images In an effort to become more LGBTQ-friendly, the Church of England issued an apology for its past homophobia.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
Welby, also head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said he recognized that divisions remained.
“I am abstaining … because my pastoral responsibility covers everyone in the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion,” he said in a statement published on Thursday.
A conservative group of Anglican church leaders in Uganda, Rwanda, Brazil and other countries declared in April that it no longer had confidence in Welby over his stance on same-sex unions.
The Anglican Communion claims 85 million adherents in 165 countries. In Pictures via Getty Images
The vote, which came after nine hours of debate among the bishops, priests and laity who make up the General Synod, agreed that the trial’s self-service would be based on a text known as the “Prayer of Love and Faith”.
It is a collection of prayers, readings and other resources for same-sex couples “who love each other and want to give thanks and signify that love in faith before God,” the church said.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
