Bishops promote qualified support for gays and lesbians

THE BISHOPS obtained their goal for the General Synod’s Wednesday-morning debate on homosexuality. Their amendment, which had been designed to prevent any appearance of a shift of the C of E’s position in a liberal direction, was carried.

It does not leave the Synod exactly where it was, however. One speaker warned that it committed the whole Synod to Lambeth resolutions that have so far been debated only by the House of Bishops. The amended motion speaks of not “doing anything that could be perceived as the Church of England qualifying its commitment to the entirety of the relevant Lambeth Conference resolutions”.

One other amendment was carried. The Bishops’ amendment was itself amended so that it also acknowledged the importance of participation by lesbian and gay people in the “listening process”. Read more