From The Living Church-
Sara Tracey, an intern at the Albany Times Union, writes about Joseph Eppink and Ralph Panelli, who plan to avail themselves of New York’s new law on same-sex marriage:
Both men are religious — Eppink is Episcopalian, Panelli is Roman Catholic — so a church wedding was necessary for them.
The couple booked the First Lutheran Church in Albany, Babcock’s place of worship. They said they would have loved to have the ceremony in Eppink’s church, but Bishop William Love of the Albany Episcopal Diocese has barred priests from participating in same-sex marriage ceremonies.
Bishop Love issued a pastoral letter June 30 that reminded the diocese of two canons regarding marriage, which Albany’s diocesan convention adopted in 2008.
He wrote in the same pastoral letter:
I am very aware that while the overwhelming majority of the people and clergy of the Diocese of Albany do not and cannot support the new marriage legislation. There are some very well meaning people in the Diocese who are sympathetic to and support the legalization of same-gender marriages and the blessing of such unions. We all know this has been and is a very emotional and highly charged issue.
Our Church has a long-standing commitment to acknowledge homosexual persons as loved by God, and as recipients of pastoral care within the Church. It is my hope and prayer that every parish in the Diocese of Albany will welcome and share God’s love with anyone who is seeking a deeper relationship with and desiring to worship and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
More here-
http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2011/8/9/marriage-in-albany
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