The US Episcopal Church today agreed to halt the ordination of gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions until a broader global consensus is reached. In a move to avoid a split in the global Anglican Communion, Episcopal bishops agreed to "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion." The bishops also pledged not to approve an official prayer for blessing same-gender couples, and insisted a majority of bishops did not allow priests to bless the couples in their parishes. The statement came in the final hour of an intense six-day meeting, and at a crucial moment in the decades-long Anglican debate over how the Bible should be interpreted. The Anglican fellowship has been splintering since 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Ref: News.com.au (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 26th September 2007 - 12:07pm