Ugh, this is a mess. Bishops of the Church of England have adopted new guidelines saying priests could not bless same-sex unions. The decision comes days after the head of the church warned bishops opposing LGBT rights would give the organization a bigoted reputation.
With same-sex marriages set to start in March, the House of Bishops wrote up new guidelines stating "blessing should not be provided" to same-sex weddings, but suggests priests "should respond pastorally and sensitively in other ways." In addition, those married to someone of the same sex will be barred from ordination, while those "in holy orders" are prohibited from entering a same-sex union.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual head of the Anglican Church, mentioned when speaking on the church's anti-gay stance,"a great fear that our decisions will lead us to the rejection of LGBT people, to irrelevance in a changing society, to behavior that many see akin to racism."
These bishops better listen.
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