Sex, gender and marriage in the C of E
by Ian Paul, Psephizo:
Near the beginning of each meeting of General Synod, there is a session called Questions, where any member can put any question to any part of the Church. It is often interesting, and sometimes controversial, as it allows members to ask the awkward questions that some might wish to avoid. It is also something of a bellwether, indicating what the tone of the following days will be like. Initial answers to the questions, which are submitted ahead of the Synod, are given in writing, so the really interesting part is the ‘supplementary’ questions that the person who asked the question is allowed to put in the chamber. Because there are so many question (usually more than a hundred), not all get covered in the Synod session, so not all have the chance to ask their supplementary questions—which, for Synod old hands, is where they ask the really awkward things.
In this Synod, the question that caught the headlines is one that we never got on to:
Miss Prudence Dailey (Oxford) to ask the Chair of the House of Bishops:
Q86 Given that the Church of England’s teaching about marriage is that it is a lifelong and exclusive union between one man and one woman, if one person in a couple undergoes gender transition, has consideration been given as to whether they are still married according to the teaching of the Church of England?The Bishop of Newcastle to reply on behalf of the Chair of the House of Bishops:
A The Pastoral Advisory Group considered this question in the context of one specific case and I cannot comment here on the personal circumstances involved or draw a general theological principle from a single instance. However, we noted two important points. When a couple marry in church they promise before God to be faithful to each other for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health – come what may, although we preach compassion if they find this too much to bear. Secondly, never in the history of the church has divorce been actively recommended as the way to resolve a problem. We have always prioritised fidelity, reconciliation and forgiveness, with divorce as a concession when staying together proves humanly unbearable. In the light of those two points, if a couple wish to remain married after one partner has transitioned, who are we to put them asunder?
The question arose in the context of the House of Bishops’ guidance on welcoming people who have undergone gender transition last December, which led to an open letter signed by well over 3,000 people raising some serious practical, theological and pastoral questions. It was claimed that there had been careful consideration of the pastoral issues around welcoming trans people, but one of the most obvious pastoral questions to explore is the impact of the process on the relationships of that person with other members of the family, and in the case of married people, the impact on the spouse. It seems remarkable that that question still has been given no clear thought.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
