Will the Church of England split over same-sex marriage?
news.sky.comchurch voted to move forward with plans to allow same-sex couples to receive a religious blessing after their civil marriage takes place elsewhere.The church's fundamental doctrine of marriage - that it is between one man and one woman - remains unchanged.
The blessing isn't the same as getting married, and the wording has yet to be decided, but some within the church see it as a step on the way to full marriage equality.In the same debate, Synod members also voted to "lament and repent" the failure of the Church to welcome LGBTQIA+ people, and for the harm they had experienced - and continue to experience - in churches.Following the Synod debate, a draft set of texts - known as Prayers of Love and Faith - are currently being refined, alongside pastoral guidance to accompany the measures.But the plans are not without opposition, and some even dismiss them as a compromise that pleases nobody.As the church draws closer to a final vote - which is expected in November - there is a risk these divisions could further deepen, even potentially causing a split in England's state church.Rev Robert Thompson has been living with his same-sex partner for 16 years.
