Cape Town defers decision on same-sex marriages: CEN 8.28.09 p 7. August 28, 2009
Posted by geoconger in Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Church of England Newspaper, Human Sexuality --- The gay issue.trackback
| First published in The Church of England Newspaper.
The Diocese of Cape Town’s triennial synod deferred action last week on a motion that sought to place same-sex relationships on the morally equivalent footing as marriage, pushing the matter onto the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa for review. On Aug 22, delegates from St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, whose dean the Rev Rowan Smith is the only “out” gay clergyman in the South African church, asked synod to request that it commend to Archbishop Thabo Makgoba that the church give “serious and prayerful consideration to the acceptance of gays and lesbians in their committed partnerships as valued members of our parishes”. |
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The basis for accepting committed same-sex partnerships within the life of the church arose from the “long-standing tradition within the Anglican Communion of respect for individual conscience, in seeking to be faithful disciples of Jesus,” the resolution said.
The resolution also asked the House of Bishops to “provide pastoral guidelines for those of our members who are in such covenanted partnerships as faithful members of our parish families”.
After deliberation the synod released a statement saying it had taken no action, but had “agreed to a resolution asking the church’s bishops to provide pastoral guidelines for gay and lesbian members of the church living in ‘covenanted partnerships,’ taking into account the mind of the world-wide Anglican Communion.”
Last week’s synod vote follows four years of legal and political debate within South African society over gay marriage. On Nov 14, 2006, the South African Parliament voted 230-41 to allow same-sex couples to “solemnize and register a voluntary union by way of either a marriage or a civil partnership.” The governing African National Congress (ANC) backed the Bill and required its MPs to support the legislation.
The bill arose in response to a 2005 ruling by South Africa’s Constitutional Court mandating legal status under law for same-sex couples by Dec 1, 2006. While ANC leaders backed the bill, rank and file party members were largely opposed, with then former Deputy President Jacob Zuma — now the country’s president — calling the gay marriage bill a “disgrace to the nation and to God”.
After the 2006 vote, Archbishop Makgoba — then the Bishop of Grahamstown — urged all sides to continue talking. “We agree that we have to dialogue, and listen to the experiences of all people around this issue, so that when the conclusion is arrived at, all of us understand and appreciate the challenges that all people feel,” he said.
The then Archbishop of Cape Town Njogonkulu Ndungane welcomed the expansion of civil rights for gay couples, but stated the “Anglican Church’s position is clear. We have repeatedly affirmed that we do not regard partnership between two persons of the same sex as a marriage in the eyes of God.”
However, Dean Smith said after the vote in Parliament that he hoped the new law would prompt the Anglican Church to allow congregations a local option whether or not to bless same-sex couples. The Province presently allows gay clergy to serve in the ministry but requires that they be celibate, and requires all clergy to abstain from sexual relations outside of marriage.
After the vote, Archbishop Makgoba said the resolution was “an important first step to saying: ‘Lord, how do we do ministry in this context?’” of changing sexual mores.
“The reason for this resolution was because we have these [partnered gay] parishioners, and the law provides for them to be in that state, so how do we pastorally respond to that?” Archbishop Makgoba said.
