Bishop Ross Bay The Bishop of Auckland is rejecting claims that 'instructions from on high' have caused a last minute halt to a same-sex wedding, which was to take place at the liberal St Matthew-in-the-City. Radio network ZM is now looking for a different church to hold what it hopes will be New Zealand's inaugural gay wedding on 19 August. It comes after St Matthew's Reverend Glynn Cardy advised it the Auckland church has been unable to negotiate a way to hold the wedding ceremony. "Anglican policy allows us to only have a religious ceremony with a same gender couple after they have been married in a civil ceremony elsewhere," he says. "At St Matthew's we think that policy is discriminatory and we are committed to working to change it; although realistically such change may take many years." Bishop of Auckland Ross Bay claims Cardy told him there was no intention for the church to be able to offer such a marriage ceremony, but a blessing would be possible following a legal civil marriage elsewhere. The Bishop says no directive was given to St Matthew's as there was never an intention for such a wedding to take place as the Vicar was working within existing Anglican Church policy, which he understood. The Anglican Church has released the assertions in a statement, where it makes it clear it defines marriage as between a man and a woman. "Within the Church, discussions are taking place about the nature of marriage and the Church's response to those who are seeking same-gender marriage," it says. "The Anglican Church seeks to be a welcoming place to all people, including the gay community, and is committed to how that can be so in practice while retaining respect for the diverse beliefs of many people in the church over this issue."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 18th July 2013 - 1:35pm