Anglicans to review stance on gay clergy

Church of England leaders are to re-examine their policy on civil partnerships following criticism that they have unwittingly given moral support to gay "marriage".

The House of Bishops issued guidance in 2005 allowing gay clergy to enter into such partnerships if they abstained from sex, arguing that this was compatible with its traditional teaching on marriage.

But a number of bishops have since complained they were misled by the Government about the true nature of the civil partnership legislation, which they fear has too many parallels with marriage.
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They are angry that the Government, which claimed it had no intention of creating gay marriage, refused to give similar legal protection to that afforded by civil partnerships to brothers or sisters who share a home.

Moreover, some bishops were infuriated that at least one minister referred to civil partnerships as the equivalent to gay marriage, and a Government website briefly spoke of "wedding bells". Read more