CANADIAN ANGLICANS BACKDOOR "SANCTITY" OF SAME-SEX UNIONS

From Anglican Essentials

ST CATHARINES, ONTARIO – Less than twelve hours after the Anglican Church of Canada’s governing body was braced to defer a decision to bless same-sex unions for theological study, Synod today passed an eleventh-hour amendment to the motion affirming the “sanctity” of same-sex relationships.

The amendment was briefly debated on the floor of General Synod late last night, and deferred until this morning’s plenary session. Several orthodox delegates rose to speak against the amendment, saying it didn’t make sense to affirm the sanctity of same-sex relationships ahead of the theological discussion Synod had already called for.

One delegate tried to change the language of the amendment to “affirm and love those who are in same-sex relationships,” but that effort was voted down.

In church language, “sanctity” means “blessed,” “holy,” or “sacred.” It is twice used in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer in relation to marriage ceremonies.

But Rev. Garth Bulmer, mover of the amendment, told Synod he didn’t intend for “sanctity” to hold any theological meaning.

Anglican Essentials Canada, a coalition of orthodox Anglicans, says the amendment to affirm the sanctity of same-sex relationships goes even further than the original motion, which merely assigned jurisdiction of same-sex blessings to individual dioceses.

“Sanctity equals blessing,” said Rev. Charlie Masters, national director of Anglican Essentials. “This entire discussion is about whether we can bless same-sex unions. So the matter has suddenly already been decided.”

Masters said the Essentials group will wait for the response from the international community before making any further decisions about their future.

The Synod’s decision overturns a 1998 resolution by an overwhelming majority of all Bishops in the Anglican Communion, which stated that same-sex activity was incompatible with Scripture.

The church has been in turmoil since June 2002, when the governing body of the Vancouver-based Diocese of New Westminster voted by 62 percent majority to become the first in the world to officially enact a blessing rite for same-sex unions.

In October 2003, the world’s 38 Anglican national leaders said decisions in the United States and New Westminster threatened to “tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level.”

The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion.

END