The Anglican Communion and the Church of England have faced significant challenges in modern times, with the church grappling with how to stay relevant while also preserving traditions for its more conservative members.
The debate surrounding gay marriage was an extremely divisive topic, with a 10-year debate resulting in the rejection of same-sex seremonies in 2023. Now, the Church of England has voted again against standalone ceremonies for homosexual couples at its general council.
The bishops concluded that theological and legal obstacles prevented the introduction of separate ceremonies, and so they were excluded from church practice, writes Hetek.hu.
Back in 2023, the Anglican synod introduced new rules allowing for prayer blessings during Sunday services. This caused an uproar for many, especially as gay unions have been legal in England and Wales since 2013, while others opposed the new blessings as a dangerous path of “false teachings” and eroding the stability of the Church. One group even ended up proclaiming they no longer would recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury.
At that time, the Church offered an official apology for the way all LGBTQI+ people had been treated.
“For the times we have rejected or excluded you, and those you love, we are deeply sorry. The occasions on which you have received a hostile and homophobic response in our churches are shameful, and for this we repent,” their statement read.
That three-year debate is now over, with the bishops’ motion passing by 252 votes to 132, with 21 abstentions. The results of separate votes showed a strong majority among the clergy and laity, and unanimous support among the bishops, with two abstentions.
This apparently has ended the nine-year-old “Living in Love and Faith” project, which aimed to create special ceremonies for civilly married homosexuals to bless their relationships. The General Synod did agree to continue looking at the issue, but the bishops appear to be a permanent block against any change in stance.
The Council has, however, supported the establishment of working groups for discussions on relationships, sexuality and gender, so that consultations can continue.
Since the early 1990s, hundreds of Anglican clergy across the U.K. have turned away from the church and converted to Catholicism, including 16 bishops. Some parts of the global Communion continue to grow, but the “mother church” in England faces decline.
Yet another breaking point came for traditionalist Anglicans in 2025 when the Church appointed the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullaly, known for being a supporter of same-sex unions. She has also made it clear she will be leading the fight against misogyny.
In a 2021 piece, quoted Roman Catholic journalist David Larson as predicting in Hetek that the Anglican Church would “barely make it” to its 500th anniversary in 2034.
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