Mr Alexander Berry (Leeds) to ask the Chair of the House of Bishops:
Q50 The advice from the House of Bishops is that clergy in same sex civil marriages cannot be ordained or be granted a new license. What is the House of Bishops doing to ensure that its advice is being applied across dioceses in a consistent way?
The Bishop of London to reply on behalf of the Chair of the House of Bishops:
A The House of Bishops has agreed to form a Pastoral Consultative Group. The membership and Terms of Reference of this group are in the process of being agreed. However, one of its tasks will be to provide clarity and encourage consistency of practice across dioceses in situations like these. This is especially helpful during this period when the bishops are about to embark on a process of discernment and decision-making about a range of matters raised by the LLF process. However, it is likely to continue to be needed as the Church faces ever more complex pastoral situations.
