Archbishop of York shuts down rumours that Church of England evolving on gay marriage
The Archbishop of York has shut down any rumour that the Church of England is set to evolve on same-sex marriage.
The Church remains opposed to the right of same-sex couples to marry, and is exempt from performing the services in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.
Reverend John Sentamu referred to an article from the Daily Telegraph, which claimed that a letter sent from he and the Archbishop of Canterbury “signalled” that the Church is moving forward on changing its stance.
The article went on to say that the church was “poised to rethink its centuries-old doctrine of marriage to accommodate same-sex couples.”
Going on, it referred to ongoing discussions within the Church about the possibility of legalising same-sex marriage.
According to the Telegraph, the discussion was to “help forge better understanding between different groups over the issue of sexuality”.
But Sentamu has said the Church is in no way moving away from its traditional stance on the issue.
Instead, he said, the Church is hoping to bridge an ever-growing gap between conservative and liberal members.
The Archbishop of York said in a letter to the Telegraph: “The Archbishop of Canterbury and I have not ‘signalled’ that the Church of England is ‘poised to rethink its centuries-old doctrine of marriage to accommodate same-sex couples’, as you report.
“However it is true that discussions are taking place and will continue at next summer’s meeting of the General Synod, not to overhaul Church doctrine, but to ‘help forge better understanding between different groups over the issue of sexuality’.”
