Australian and Irish bishops issue separate statements on same-sex relationships

May 15, 2018 by

from ACNS:

There is “little appetite” in parishes to continue discussing human sexuality, the House of Bishops of the Church of Ireland has said, in a statement in which the stress that the province’s marriage service “remains unchanged and marriage may be solemnised only between a man and a woman.” In a separate statement, the House of Bishops of the Church of Australia said that the doctrine of their Church was that “marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman.” They said that in light of the Church’s doctrine, it was “not appropriate for church buildings and halls, and chapels owned by Anglican schools and other Anglican organisations to be used as venues for same-sex marriages.”

The statement from the Church of Ireland bishops was presented to the Province’s General Synod last week by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Pat Storey. It follows the work of a Select Committee on Human Sexuality in the Context of Christian Belief that was established by the General Synod in 2012, and which reported to the Synod last year. The Select Committee produced a Guide to Human Sexuality for parishes.

“It was noted that following the production of the Guide to Human Sexuality, there was little appetite to discuss further these issues in the parishes,” the bishops said in their statement. “It would seem that there is no consensus in General Synod, the House of Bishops, or in the church island-wide to change the Canons of the Church of Ireland on the matter of marriage. This, the Church of Ireland marriage service remains unchanged and marriage may be solemnised only between a man and a woman. No liturgy or authorised service is provided therefore for any other situation.”

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See also: Ireland, Australia and Diocese of Polynesia reject same sex relationships, by David Virtue, VirtueOnline

 

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