The Church of England and same-sex relationships

The major news of the week was that the Church of England’s General Synod voted in favour of a motion to offer blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages after an eight-hour debate over two days.

Unsurprisingly, the vote has generated considerable controversy. The Church of England Evangelical Council said that it was deeply saddened and profoundly grieved by the vote. OneBodyOneFaith acknowledged the statement, but its first reaction was understandable disappointment that equal marriage had not been proposed.

More broadly, there are complexities around the canonical status of the approved prayers themselves, which Russell Dewhurst unravels in a guest post, here.

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