Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby chooses silence on gay marriage
by Kaya Burgess, The Times:
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said for the first time that he will keep his views on same-sex marriage in church a secret as long as he is in post.
The question of whether to allow priests to marry gay couples is the most divisive issue in the Church of England. It will come to a head in February, when bishops have pledged to share their views with the General Synod. They are meeting this week to discuss a possible change in doctrine.
Several bishops have issued public statements sharing their position. It is thought more than a thousand priests could back a change to church law.
The Most Rev Justin Welby, the church’s most senior cleric and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, said he did not expect to share his views, however, because his role was to be a source of “unity”.
He told The Times during a trip to Ukraine: “I am not sure I will be able to say during my time in this job. I can express my own view as far as I know my own mind — and it doesn’t change.
“But the role of archbishop is to be a focus of unity. That isn’t just convenient or pragmatic. In Christian thinking that is part of God’s call to church leaders. Therefore I have to be convinced before God that it’s the right moment to do it — and not just politically.”
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