Church of England abandons plans for same-sex marriage blessings | UK | News
The Church of England has abandoned plans to hold blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples after years of debate. The General Assembly voted in favor of offering blessings to same-sex couples in civil unions and marriages as an alternative to same-sex marriage ceremonies in 2023, and a process has been established for how independent blessing services will operate. But the process, run by the Living with Love and Faith (LLF) group, has stalled in the years since, costing £1.66 million including consultancy, staff recruitment and conferences; which led to its official revocation by the Church’s national synod this week.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell acknowledged the “pain and disappointment” of church members and attributed the outcome to “failures of process that have caused real pain for many on all sides of this synod”. “This is not where I wanted us to be or where I expected to be three years ago,” he said. “And I just want to point out that no matter where you are in the debate, I know many of you are feeling angry and frustrated.”
The archbishop said a working group has been proposed to continue discussing how identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage fit into Church teaching.
He also apologized for the harm caused “to both parties”, with the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) previously arguing that the approval of the blessing “alienates many of us who hold to historical and biblical Anglican doctrine”.
But the Rev. Charlie Bączyk-Bell, a gay priest and Synod member living in London, accused the archbishop of making a “false equivalence” between the two groups.
“It’s not the same to have your entire self discussed, dissected, dissected, humiliated, trampled in this room, and then having it in a larger space as if it were just an abstract question,” he said.
*** Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us your Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***
He also suggested the process had turned into a “playful charade” and apologized to LGBTQ+ church members “for the things we continue to put you through” and “for not being able to celebrate you properly.”
The motion to conclude the process by July also confirmed that the Synod would “recognise and bear the distress and pain experienced by many” in the process.
The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, addressed the controversy in her speech on Thursday, arguing that it “hurts us individually but also as a Church” and “touches some of our deepest theological views, as well as a core part of our identity”.
A letter published by the Synod of Bishops in January said that while dialogue on the issues “will and must continue, we also recognize that the Synodal process that began in February 2023 must now come to a conclusion, albeit in a way that is flawed, disorderly and leaves some important questions unresolved.”
