A razor-thin majority of Canada's Anglican bishops yesterday overrode the wishes of their laity and clergy and vetoed a resolution that would have allowed for blessings of homosexual unions.

The bishops' action will spare the Canadian church from censure by leaders of other branches of the global Anglican Communion, almost all of whom are vehemently opposed to blessing same-sex unions and permitting priests to be in open homosexual relationships.

But it will anger many Canadian Anglicans, particularly in large urban centres, and isolate the U.S. Episcopal Church, which alone in the worldwide Anglican Communion has approved a liturgy for same-sex blessings and appointed an openly gay bishop.

The resolution put to the Canadian church's triennial general synod, or governing parliament, in Winnipeg, would have permitted blessings of committed same-sex unions in parish churches with the concurrence of the local bishop and "in a manner which respects the conscience of the incumbent [parish priest] and the will of the parish."

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Anglican Church of Canada • Canadian General Synod 2007 • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings

1. samh wrote: I’m not so sure the bishops’ actions will spare the Canadian church from the “censure” of the rest of the Anglican Communion.  They made several theological statements indicating support of same-sex blessings.  In either case, it’s silly to make that kind of declaration until after various Instruments of Unity have met. Additionally, I don’t believe TEC has approved a liturgy for SSB, but has given each individual diocese the option to develop and approve them. I didn’t bother reading the rest of the article if they couldn’t get the basics down. June 25, 7:51 am | [comment link]

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