Virginia go-ahead on same-sex rites: CEN 1.30.09 p 6. January 31, 2009
Posted by geoconger in Church of England Newspaper, Human Sexuality --- The gay issue, Virginia.trackback
The Episcopal Church’s largest diocese has begun the move towards accepting same-sex blessings. On Jan 23 the annual council of the Diocese of Virginia approved a six-week “listening process” for 12 congregations to explore pastoral blessings for same-sex couples.
While stopping short of endorsing rites for the blessing of same-sex unions or gay marriage, the diocese’s Windsor Dialogue Commission submitted two model two liturgies to bless same-sex relationships and one to celebrate celibate same-sex relationships for review. The “majority” of the commission “believes that the time is right for same-gender unions to be blessed,” the report said, but added that given the restraints imposed by the Windsor Report “liturgies should not be authorized” at this time.
Virginia Bishop Peter Lee said 12 congregations, working in pairs, will report back to the diocese by Easter on the proposed liturgies, at which time a second committee will “evaluate the reports and determine next steps.”
While the voice vote to adopt the pastoral blessings program was close, conservatives remaining within the diocese were resigned to its passage as most of their leaders have quit the Episcopal Church over the past three years. Long considered a “middle of the road” diocese within the Episcopal Church, the defection of over 15,000 of the dioceses 95,000 members to the Nigerian-led Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA) has pushed the diocese to the left.
