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LONDON — The Church of England announced on Wednesday that it will not allow same-sex couples to marry in its churches and that its teaching that marriage is between “a man and a woman for life” would not change.
However, same-sex couples are welcome to come to the church to have their civil partnerships blessed, the church said in a statement that followed six years of debate and deliberation.
“Under the proposals, same-sex couples would still not be able to marry in a Church of England church,” the statement said. “The formal teaching of the Church of England, as laid down in the canons and authorized liturgies – that sacred marriage is between a man and a woman – would not change.”
The plans were outlined in a report to the General Synod, the church’s legislative body, which will meet in London next month to consider the proposals. However, the continuing ban on same-sex marriage will not be put to a vote.
Same-sex marriage activists said church leaders’ decision to keep the ban in place was inconsistent with public opinion and the law. Same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2013.
The Church of England added that later this week bishops will apologize to LGBT+ people for the “rejection, exclusion and hostility” they have faced, and for the first time the church will allow same-sex couples “to attend church come thank you for the civil marriage or civil partnership and receive God’s blessing.”
The Anglican Church in Wales goes further and allows an authorized blessing service for same-sex couples. The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said the consultation reflected “the diversity of views within the Church of England on issues of sexuality, relationships and marriage”.
“I have no illusions that what we are proposing today may seem too far for some and not nearly far enough for others, but I hope that what we have agreed will be received in a spirit of generosity , who seeks the common good.”
Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford and senior bishop calling on the church to allow same-sex marriages, said in an email statement: “I’m sorry that some things are not moving forward, particularly civil marriages in the church for same-sex people couples. I would have wanted to see that.”
He added that he was nonetheless “encouraged” by the new guidance on blessing same-sex couples in the Church, “which I hope will also remove the obstacles faced by ministers entering same-sex civil marriages themselves.” Currently, gay priests can enter into a civil partnership but cannot marry, even in civil ceremonies.
Jayne Ozanne, a prominent LGBT rights activist, said the church’s proposals were insufficient after much deliberation. “We don’t want breadcrumbs,” she told the Post. “The discrimination embedded in these proposals worries me. It’s very clear that in their minds there is a clear distinction between sacred marriage and civil marriage, and that distinction is why so many young LGBT people feel second-class.”
In recent years Britain has become a more secular and diverse nation. Today, less than half the population of England and Wales consider themselves Christian, according to the latest census data.
The popularity of religious marriages in England and Wales has declined dramatically over the years, with civil marriages outpacing religious marriages every year since 1992. According to the latest United Kingdom census in 2018, religious ceremonies accounted for 21.1 percent of opposite-sex marriages and 0.9 percent of same-sex marriages.