Church of England set to reopen homosexuality debate
The Church of England’s governing body is set to debate the highly divisive issue of homosexuality again today.
The General Synod is to debate a discussion paper, entitled Some Issues in Human Sexuality, which aims to set out the Church’s position on homosexuality and related issues.
The debate is bound to be heated, as the Anglican Communion was almost torn apart late last year over two nominations of gay men as bishops.
On Monday, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams acknowledged that the issue posed “unprecedentedly difficult challenges” for the Church.
Canon Jeffrey John of Southwark Cathedral was nominated as Bishop of Reading. Although Canon John has been celibate for some years, the furore that accompanied the nomination forced him to withdraw.
In the US, Gene Robinson was put forward as a bishop in New Hampshire, causing enormous anger in conservative wings of the Church – and even some departures from the Anglican fold. Bishop Robinson was consecrated in November 2003.
Traditionalists are still campaigning to have Bishop Robinson removed.
Controversy will be fuelled further by a motion due to be debated after the discussion paper, calling for the legal recognition of unmarried but cohabiting couples.
Already, one synod member has condemned the proposal, put forward by the York diocesan synod, as condoning fornication.
