Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.
The Church of England has not “abandoned proposals to deliver blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in churches.” If only that were true.
What has happened is much more subtle and much more ‘English’.
As the Archbishop of York told General Synod, “… now is the right time to draw the LLF program to a close and for this work to be taken forward in a new way.”
In 2017 the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process began – leading to the bishops’ commendation of the Prayers of Love and Faith (or blessings for same-sex couples) for use in regular services in 2023. The bishops continue to commend these prayers for use. So same-sex couples CAN invite their friends and family to join them at a regular church service – Sunday Eucharist, Saturday Compline or Midweek Morning Prayer- where the vicar will bless them and the commitment they have made to each other, using prayers like those below:
What SHOULD NOT happen at the moment is a ‘standalone’ or ‘bespoke’ service, outside of regular worship. This is because the lawyers and theologians have ruled that this would risk looking too much like a marriage service and invited guests may not be able to tell the difference. Bishops could, therefore, face a legal challenge if they commended such services without the approval of two-thirds of Synod – and at the moment about 40% of the Laity and Clergy would object. It is this that is holding up the progress.
Similarly, clergy have been told they cannot enter into civil same-sex marriages – though some have already done so, and have been allowed to continue serving in their current roles.
This week’s debate at General Synod was a procedural motion – bringing one project in this area, called ‘Living in Love and Faith’ (LLF), to an end and starting the next – which has yet to be named. This new approach involves two better resourced, more permanent working groups:
First, the ‘Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working Group’, whose purpose is, among other things to:
a. undertake the necessary legal and theological preparatory work and to explore the approval process under Canon B2 for bespoke services of Prayers of Love and Faith;
b. define further the appropriate legislative changes and any further theological work which would be required to enable clergy to enter same sex marriage;
Second, the Sexuality and Gender Pastoral Consultative Group, whose purpose is to
a. advise bishops and archdeacons on specific cases arising from the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith;
b. support bishops and archdeacons in their pastoral and/or disciplinary decision-making on matters relating to relationships, marriage, sexuality and gender identity;
c. facilitate consistent practice across the church;
This is not the end – just the beginning of the next steps, as the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, told Synod yesterday:
“I remember the at the press conference after the February 23 vote, I found myself getting very emotional because I was remembering friends of mine in same-sex relationships who hadn’t even been able to say a prayer in church. Um I do rejoice that that can now happen, but I do recognize there is more to do and more to go. And I simply pray that we can do it together.”
Similarly, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Sarah Mullally said,
“I do believe it proposes a sensible way forward that provides us with a structured framework that I believe will take us to the next steps.”
Like them, the vast majority of bishops are committed to change. They too want to move “forward” and “take the next steps”. The ‘letter to the Church’, that accompanies the motion that General Synod passed, made that very clear – as this blog wrote when it was published:
1) The House of Bishops are, above all else, committed to “walking together”.
2) The House of Bishops continue to commend the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF).
3) The House of Bishops only apologise for the pain caused by them by not moving further, faster.
4) The only discipline proposed by the House of Bishops for those who infringe their guidance is ‘informal’ and possibly ‘optional’.
5) The only criticism is for those who have taken a stand against the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith
6) As the LLF process draws to a close, another process begins.
The Revd Will Pearson Gee used an analogy about a train that had stopped because the tracks ahead were dangerous – “Then,” he said,” it became apparent that the train was going to be repainted, and a new logo painted on the side. The hurt and angry passengers were told the old train had in fact become a new one and would be proceeding with little delay.”
The Church of England has not abandonded proposals for same-sex blessings – they are already commended in churches and cathedrals up and down the land. All they have done is splashed some paint around and changed the logo, in order to try to find a way of moving forward with as little delay as possible.
