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Bellor
The big deal is though does the Church of England have to carry it out?
Church of England priests will not be allowed to bless gay and lesbian weddings, or marry someone of the same sex themselves, according to new guidelines issued by the church, which is struggling to heal divides over homosexuality.
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in England next month, posing a dilemma for the Church of England, which is the mother church of the world's 80 million Anglicans and maintains that marriage is between a man and a woman.
...
But following meetings last week, the church's bishops released guidelines at the weekend that ruled out any kind of blessing for gay marriages. Instead, they said, clergy could offer an informal prayer at their discretion and at the request of the couple.
Skyfloating
I applaud the decision but at the same time find it sad that books like these are still sold in the UK in bookstores and at Amazon:
The Good Faggot Guide
Skyfloating
reply to post by Aleister
I fully agree with freedom of speech. I also agree with gay marriage. The post above was tongue in cheek. "Faggots" mean something different in the UK.
The Church of England's divisions over gay marriage have been reopened by the Bishop of Salisbury, who has issued a statement praising the couples who will get married and assuring them of his prayers and good wishes.
Nick Holtam's supportive remarks on the eve of the legalisation of gay marriage expresses the views of a significant body of dissent within the Church of England, unhappy with the formal position that prevents Anglican clergy from marrying partners of the same sex.
Gay marriage, the bishop said, "embodies a commitment to be faithful, loving, and lifelong. These are virtues which the Church of England wants to see maximised in society."