Comments on: Gay Dean has secret civil partnership

By: Alice

Alice — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:34:00 +0000

I entered into a civil partnership recently with my partner of over 6 years, a C of E priest. We notified our bishop as requested but made no claims of celibacy and although we were sent a copy of the House of Bishops guidelines along with the bishop's best wishes, we were not asked to give any such assurances.

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By: Lorna Brook

Lorna Brook — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:47:00 +0000

Well, the rumour is fact, and the congregation at St. Albans Abbey, which has the utmost good fortune to have Jeffrey John as its Dean, are delighted to uphold him and Grant in their relationship. We celebrated on Sunday with Bucks Fizz on the Deanery lawn after hearing another of his first class sermons. Unending thanks to God (and our marvellous Bishop) for his appointment.

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By: Robert W. Pierce

Robert W. Pierce — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:14:00 +0000

What an absurdity that the C of E expects its clergy who enter into Civil Partnership to remain celibate. Its ridiculous. Does the church really believe that two people who love each other are going to refrain from physical contact albeit clergy? The church needs to join the 21st century and get rid of its outmoded literal interpretation of scripture. Nowhere in the bible did Jesus Christ utter one word condemning homosexuality. Until then, the church will remain irrelevant and eventually fade into obscurity where it belongs.

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