Church of England chief backs ‘re-christenings’ after sex changes

Jun 20, 2017 by

by Steve Doughty, Mailonline:

The Church of England yesterday suggested it will offer transgender Christians ‘re-christenings’ with their new names.

Vicars cannot re-baptise those who have changed sex but could use existing ‘services of welcome’ to announce a new name before God, the most senior official said.

The advice is likely to be endorsed next month by the Church’s parliament, the General Synod.

It will ease pressure on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby from liberals who want to see the church’s conservative rules on sex and marriage swept away. But it is likely to provoke a furious backlash among some traditionalists.

The CofE’s most senior official, Synod Secretary General William Nye, said in a paper sent to Synod members: ‘It is a fundamental belief of the Church that baptism can only be received once.

‘There is therefore no possibility of the Synod approving a form of service for the re-baptism of transgendered persons in their new gender who have already been baptised.’ But he said the CofE can have no objection if they want to have an ‘Affirmation of Baptismal Faith’ service in a new name.

Related Posts

Tags

Share This