from Religion Media Centre
Bishops of the Church in Wales are to bring proposals for same sex blessings to the church’s governing body in April next year, and on same sex marriage the year after.
In a statement released yesterday, they say most people who spoke in a six month listening exercise were in favour of the changes, but “a strong part of our Church family” finds that difficult.
An experimental “Rite of Blessing” for same sex couples who had celebrated a civil marriage or partnership, was introduced for a five year period in 2021. That is now coming to an end and the Bishops say the time is right to decide.
Their statement says that “deep convictions will still vary” and people with “deep convictions of conscience will have to be respected” so that no-one will be forced to act against their conscience and people in same sex relationships will be “given full consideration”. They say: “Whatever people’s convictions on this matter, as your bishops we believe first that this should not be a ‘Church-dividing issue”.
Full statement is here.