US Episcopal Prayer Book marriage rite could be made gender-neutral in 2018
by Madeleine Davies, Church Times:
A PROPOSAL to amend the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) of the Episcopal Church in the United States to change the marriage rite and catechism may be brought to the General Convention next year.
Although alternative “gender-neutral” rites are available on a trial basis, after a decision by the 2015 General Convention, the US Prayer Book catechism continues to state that marriage is between a man and a woman. Members of the Task Force on the Study of Marriage which was commissioned by the 2015 Convention to study “the impact of same-sex marriage and rites of blessing on our Church” are concerned that the current arrangement is unstable.
“When we expanded the marriage canon, we gave expression to the Church’s teaching about marriage in the Declaration of Intention,” the minutes from a meeting of the Task Force in March state. “We have embraced a core teaching of our understanding of marriage. This could be the basis of whatever catechetical teaching is written for the BCP revision.”
The proposal has alarmed traditionalists within the Church.
The 2015 Act of Convention (News, 10 July 2015) authorised two new marriage rites with language that could by used by both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. The resolution said that bishops “will make provision for all couples asking to be married in this Church to have access to these liturgies”, but also that “trial use is only to be available under the discretion and with the permission of the diocesan bishop.” In addition, priests retain the canonical right to refuse to officiate at any wedding.
As a result, the availability of the new same-sex rites has been patchy. Some bishops will not grant priests permission to use the rites. There are also reports that priests are officiating at weddings in these dioceses, having travelled from dioceses where bishops do grant permission.
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