Church of England bishops reject gay marriage
Stonewall labeled the decision "a kick in the teeth for LGBTQ+ Christians".
Church of England bishops have refused to allow priests to marry same-sex couples.
The decision was made on Tuesday (17 January) after a five-year consultation on the issue called Living in Love and Faith, the BBC reports.
The proposal will now be debated at the General Synod, the Church’s parliament equivalent, in February.
Priests can offer same-sex couples blessings after a civil marriage or partnership. These, however, will be voluntary for clergy, allowing those opposed to opt out.
The decision puts the Church of England at odds with its Anglican equivalent in Scotland. The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland both allow same-sex weddings.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013 yet the Church hasn’t followed suit in changing its doctrine: that marriage can be only between a man and a woman.
“A kick in the teeth”
In November 2022, the Bishop of Oxford became the most senior Church of England bishop to publicly back same-sex marriage. However, he remains in the minority.
Following Wednesday’s news, Stonewall remarked they were “really disappointed.”
“This is a kick in the teeth for LGBTQ+ Christians who deserve for their love to be recognised and respected within their faith community,” its statement read.
Furthermore, Stonewall outlined the move reflects the Church is “out of step with the inclusive values that define modern Britain”.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, acknowledged the decision fell short of celebrating gay marriages, he called it “a step forward”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “It’s not the end of [the] journey, but we have reached a milestone.”
His remarks have been described as “hollow” by campaigner, Jayne Ozanne. She labelled the decision as “cruel.”
A gay Christian herself, Ozanne shared: “I cannot believe that 5 years of pain & trauma has got us to here!”
“We have had countless apologies over the years but no action to stop the harmful discrimination,” she continued. “It’s insulting to all who trusted the process.”
According to BBC News, some campaigners have already raised issues with the outcome and will ask the synod to strike the bishops’ proposals.