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The Church of England will keep rejecting same-sex marriages.

Published by victor caleb on January 23rd, 2023.

According to proposals unveiled on Wednesday, the Church of England will uphold its teaching that marriage is only between a man and a woman and would not permit same-sex couples to be wed in its churches.

Following the Church of England’s six-year consultation on sexuality and marriage, among other topics, the proposals were developed by bishops, who make up one of three parts of the church’s governing body known as the General Synod. They will be presented to the General Synod at a meeting next month.

The larger Anglican communion, which includes more than 85 million people in more than 165 countries, revolves around the Church of England.

The statement confirmed a BBC report from the previous night that bishops had refused to endorse a change in teaching to permit priests to marry homosexual couples. “Same-sex couples would still not be able to get married in a Church of England church,” the statement said.

After a civil marriage, same-sex couples could participate in a church service that included “prayers of devotion, appreciation, or for God’s blessing on the pair.” In 2013, Britain allowed gay marriage.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said, “I am under no illusions that what we are proposing today will appear to go too far for some and not nearly far enough for others. But it is my hope that what we have agreed upon will be welcomed in a spirit of charity, seeking the common good.

According to a separate statement, Church of England bishops will apologize to LGBTQ individuals later this week for the “rejection, marginalization, and hostility” they have experienced in churches.

Lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender activists have been battling for the same rights as heterosexual Christians within the Church of England, which was founded in 1534, for years.

Welby called on the bishops to “abound in love for all” last year in an effort to settle the controversial matter, even as he defended the legitimacy of a 1998 statement that denounced “homosexual activity as incompatible with Scripture.”