Church to probe gay wedding
2008-06-15 21:25
London - A leading Church of England bishop has ordered an investigation into the blessing of two gay clergymen held in a London church in May, the Bishop of London said on Sunday.
Already civil partners, the Rev Peter Cowell and the Rev David Lord, who was ordained in New Zealand, exchanged vows in a service at St Bartholomew the Great, one of London's oldest churches, on May 31.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that the priests had exchanged rings and vows.
"Services of public blessings for civil partnerships are not authorised in the Church of England or the Diocese of London," said the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.
"I will be asking the archdeacon of London to investigate what took place at the church of St Bartholomew the Great."
'I didn't break any rules'
The 77-million-member Anglican Communion, a global federation of national churches, has been in upheaval over the issue of homosexuality and the blessing of gay unions in recent years.
Church of England guidelines require clergy not to bless such partnerships, but the Rev Martin Dudley, who carried out the service at St Bartholomew the Great, maintains he did not break any rules.
"It wasn't a marriage as you can't marry two men - it was a celebration of the civil partnership of the two people that were involved," said Dudley.
"It wasn't intended to be provocative. When two men who have committed themselves to the church ask for a blessing why should we should we turn them away?"
But a Church of England spokesperson said the ceremony appeared to contravene those guidelines.
"It is to be hoped that, on reflection, it will be recognised in the wider Anglican Communion that the reported events appear to contravene the terms of the Bishops' 2005 statement, and do not represent any change in church policy," said the spokesperson.
First gay bishop
In 2003, the Episcopal Church, the United States branch of the worldwide Anglican community, consecrated Gene Robinson, the first bishop known to be in an openly homosexual relationship in more than four centuries of church history.
Earlier this month, Robinson entered into a civil union with his long-time partner, Mark Andrew, at a private ceremony in New Hampshire.
In July, the Anglicans are due to gather for their once-a-decade Lambeth Conference in Britain.