The Maryland Episcopal Bishop’s Guidelines Regarding the Blessing of Same-Gender Unions

Posted by Kendall Harmon

These guidelines are for the clergy of the Diocese of Maryland in keeping with Resolution CO56 of the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church that states that bishops “may provide generous pastoral responses to meet the needs of members of this Church,” and that we “honor the theological diversity of this Church in regard to matters of human sexuality.”

Read it carefully and read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • TEC Bishops • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings

9 Comments
Posted July 30, 2010 at 4:27 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Br. Michael wrote:

It is nothing less than abomination for the Church to bless in God’s name what God as declared as sin.  This might as well be a black mass.

July 30, 4:52 pm | [comment link]
2. COLUMCIL wrote:

I agree; it can’t be done.

July 30, 4:58 pm | [comment link]
3. Already left wrote:

If you read it very carefully, it is not only the blessing of the union, but the creating of the union also.

July 30, 5:01 pm | [comment link]
4. billqs wrote:

But CO56 was just a recognition of “facts on the ground”.  It wasn’t authorizing SS Blessings…

Geez, it gets boring even using same sarcasm…

July 30, 5:06 pm | [comment link]
5. Larry Morse wrote:

If what #1 says is true - and we agree that it is - then it must be theologically impossible for TEC to be inside any Christian province.
And so it must be impossible for TEC to sit at the same table with tbhe provinces meet. Isn’t this true? If it is, then what RW is doing is contrary to his own canons and to all Christian provinces, whether he stands as their leader or not. This is so obvious, so incontrovertible, then how can orthodox provinces tolerate their presence without being tarred by the same brush? Larry

July 30, 7:05 pm | [comment link]
6. rugbyplayingpriest wrote:

And yet they NEVER get disciplined….the only logical conclusion being that this IS the new Anglicanism, complete with WO, et al

My inability to remain in communion with these people leads me to actively seek a new spiritual home. Every day we ourselves do nothing we support what happens

July 31, 2:13 am | [comment link]
7. DTerwilliger wrote:

I agree #6.

July 31, 4:29 am | [comment link]
8. NoVA Scout wrote:

I don’t understand the reference to “theological diversity” with regard to human sexuality.  I would have thought that virtually anyone would acknowledge that there is very little, if any, “theological diversity” on this point.  The diversity may be in demographics of membership or some other marker, but if there is any theological diversity, it must be of very recent provenance.

July 31, 5:56 am | [comment link]
9. Archer_of_the_Forest wrote:

Interesting that the current, soon to be former, bishop of Nebraska is going to be an axillary bishop in Maryland after he retires. His fingerprints are all over this.

July 31, 6:20 pm | [comment link]
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