Gay-blessing apology

More from the Church Times (England)

THE RECTOR of St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, the Revd Dr Martin Dudley, has issued a statement of apology to the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Richard Chartres, for conducting the blessing of a gay relationship at the church on 31 May. He confessed that it was “inconsistent” with the pastoral guide lines issued by the Bishops in 2005.

He does, however, declare that he is “profoundly uneasy” with much of the content of the Bishops’ statement, “which anecdotal evidence suggests is being widely, though discreetly, dis regarded in this Diocese [London] and elsewhere”. It is open to differing interpretations, he says.

The high-profile service followed the civil-partnership ceremony be tween the Revd Peter Cowell and the Revd Dr John Lord, and was attended by 300 people. It used a liturgy closely modelled on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer marriage service.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York reprimanded Dr Dudley in a joint statement soon afterwards, which said that clerics who disagreed with the Church’s teaching were “not at liberty simply to disregard it”. Bishop Chartres also warned Dr Dudley: “St Bartholomew’s is not a personal fiefdom”

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=65642