A report from the House of Bishops to be discussed by the Church’s General Synod on 15 February upheld the teaching, recognised by canon law, that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
But it also concluded that the current advice on pastoral provision for same sex couples – which allows clergy to provide informal prayers for those marrying or forming a civil partnership – is not clear enough and should be revisited.
It also called for a ‘fresh tone and culture of welcome and support’ for lesbian and gay people and those attracted to people of the same sex throughout the Church of England. It calls for new guidance to be prepared about the kind of questions put to candidates for ordination – irrespective of their sexual orientation – about their lifestyle and general morality.
Church of England must repent
The document also refers to the need for the Church to repent of the homophobic attitudes it has sometimes failed to rebuke and affirm the need to stand against homophobia wherever and whenever it is to be found. Bishops are recommending that the Church of England’s law and guidance on marriage should be interpreted to provide ‘maximum freedom’ for gay and lesbian people without changing the Church’s doctrine of marriage itself.
The paper recommended that bishops prepare a substantial new teaching document on marriage and relationships to replace those drawn up in the 1990s which neither discuss nor anticipate same sex marriage. It was written when Clause 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 was in force which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools and prevented local councils from spending money on lesbian and gay projects, including anything which suggested support of what it called ‘pretended family relationships’.
The report acknowledged that it represents the consensus of opinion among the bishops rather than a unanimous view and sets out a process rather than attempting a final resolution.
