Niagara votes for gay blessings: CEN 11.23.07 p 6. November 23, 2007
Posted by geoconger in Anglican Church of Canada, Church of England Newspaper, Human Sexuality --- The gay issue, Lambeth 2008.trackback
The Canadian diocese of Niagara has voted to permit gay blessings. On Nov 17 the diocesan synod voted 239 to 53 to allow clergy to solemnize gay unions, if at least one of the spouses were baptized.
Bishop Ralph Spence gave his assent to the decision, making Niagara the third Canadian diocese to adopt same-sex blessings since the June meeting of General Synod. However, the bishop’s assent to gay blessings in Niagara places him at odds with the statement he coauthored at last month’s meeting of the Canadian House of Bishops, which reaffirmed the church’s ban on gay blessings.
Bishop Spence acknowledged the disparity between the two positions, but noted the votes to affirm gay blessings by the dioceses of Montreal and Ottawa had undercut the force of the ban. However, he continued to affirm the House of Bishops’ call for a “generous response” to the contrasting views on gay blessings.
He told the Anglican Journal that he did not believe his actions would impact his role as chaplain to the staff of the 2008 Lambeth Conference. “My role at Lambeth is not constitutional. I will be chaplain to all the workers and make sure all the safe church practices are followed,” he said.
His Lambeth duties will also include “helping out with disciplinary matters” he told the Hamilton Spectator in April. “If somebody needs to be straightened out on their conduct or behaves inappropriately, I’ll be helping them understand what the appropriate conduct will be,” Bishop Spence said.
Over 50 speakers addressed the convention during the debate on gay blessings. Supporters argued gay blessings were a matter of justice, while opponents said it violated church teachings, scripture, and the decisions of General Synod and the House of Bishops.
The Rt. Rev. Ralph Spence, Diocese of Niagara photo.
Bishop Spence said he was “very proud” that his diocese had taken a “leadership role” in moving the Canadian Church “forward on this issue.”
However, the Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada, Bishop Don Harvey, said Niagara had “chosen to walk away from centuries of Christian teaching and defy the consensus within the Anglican Communion.”
[...] to the ANiC conference — Canadian bishop comes out of retirement to quit; Niagara votes for gay blessings …. [...]