Same-sex service ‘up to priest’

Whether or not a marriage ceremony is conducted for a gay couple should be a decision made by individual priests and parishes, according to an MP.

Labour’s Ben Bradshaw urged the Church of England to allow autonomy on whether same-sex weddings can take place in any given church.

The Government plans to remove the legal discrimination of barring people of the same sex from creating a so-called civil partnership in religious buildings. The move follows the House of Lords changing the Equality Act to remove the ban on holding such ceremonies on religious premises.

The Church of England, however, is opposed to the idea.

Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Bradshaw asked: “Given when the law changes to allow civil partnerships to be conducted on religious premises, and given that many Church of England priests and parishes will want to conduct such ceremonies, would it not be better for the Church of England to do what it did when it first allowed the re-marriage of divorcees in church and allow the individual priests and parishes to make the decision?”

Representing Church commissioners, Tory MP Tony Baldry replied: “In its pastoral statement in July 2005, the House of Bishops confirmed that clergy of the Church of England should not provide services of blessing to those who register a civil partnership.”

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