Bishops publish road map for same-sex marriages

The Bishops in the Church in Wales have issued a pastoral letter setting out the next steps towards discerning whether same-sex marriages should be permitted in churches.

The letter follows a six-month consultation that sought views across all levels within the Province, as the four-year trial of an experimental Rite of Blessing comes to a close.

It concludes that “Christian attitudes towards sexual relationships are a matter for deep debate in the contemporary Church, and even threaten to divide the Christian family worldwide.

“Christians differ in approach: advocates for equal marriage argue from the inclusive love of Jesus, while others highlight faithfulness to the traditional reading of Biblical texts and cannot embrace such new understandings.

“Yet others discern a middle ground: content to offer blessings, they are not yet ready to abandon traditional teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman.

“Whatever people’s convictions on this matter…we believe first that this should not be a ‘Church-dividing issue”.

“Most of those who spoke did so in favour of the view that the time is right to offer equal marriage to traditional and same sex couples. Nonetheless, there is a strong part of our Church family that finds such a step difficult to hold within their understanding of fidelity to Scripture, and therefore within our common life.”

The decision, therefore, is to let the Governing Body decide. Proposals will be put before the GB next April to make the Rite of Blessing permanent. Then, a year later, further proposals will seek to allow marriage services in church for same-sex couples.

This will allow the Governing Body to decide whether to affirm the provision that has already been made and then to proceed to consider and decide upon the provision of equal marriage.

In each case, the bishops recognise that “deep convictions will still vary on this matter and that, in seeking to hold the family of God together, those deep convictions of conscience will have to be respected.

“Any proposals will have to be drafted in a such a way to ensure that no-one is forced to act against their consciences by participating in such provision. At the same time, the longing of many who are in same sex committed relationships to make the commitment of marriage to one another will be given full consideration.”