Church of England: Marriage is still one-man, one-woman

The Church of England won’t allow same-sex weddings to take place in church, but will allow priests to bless couples who have married in a civil ceremony, the latest chapter in a continuing debate over LGBT rights across various Christian churches.

After a six-year debate on the issue, the church said Wednesday that bishops had decided not to change the Church’s fundamental teaching “that holy matrimony is between one man and one woman for life.” It said the blessing by a priest was the furthest it could go without changing church doctrine.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, said the move would “appear to go too far for some and not nearly far enough for others,” but said he hoped it would be seen as a change for the common good. The church said it also planned to apologize later this week to “LGBTQI+ people for the ‘rejection, exclusion and hostility’ they have faced in churches and the impact this has had on their lives.”

[That won’t be enough, but once again, one has to wonder why. Christianity is based on the Bible, and the teachings on sexuality and family are clear. No one is *required* to believe in them, however. Membership is voluntary, and other churches have other policies. So why should the Anglicans be forced to accept policies that contradict their beliefs? — Ed]