Scottish church backs gay priests

The Scottish Episcopal Church has released a statement about the Windsor report and the Primates’ Communiqué (the recent statements about gay people and the church). There’s some interesting things in there, especially in light of the recent statement from the Episcopal Church of the USA.

The Scottish Episcopal Church has never regarded the fact that someone was in a close relationship with a member of the same sex as in itself constituting a bar to the exercise of an ordained ministry. Indeed, the Windsor Report itself in suggesting that a moratorium be placed on such persons being consecrated bishops, itself acknowledges the existence of many such relationships within the Church.

They also say that “unofficial” blessings of same-sex unions have occurred in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and that they do not understand the Windsor report or the Primates’ Communiqué as forbidding these – rather, they are to be seen as preventing any official rites being established yet. The statement closes with a nice expression of acceptance and unity.

We are conscious that as a Church we are much indebted in our life both to a significant presence of persons of homosexual (lesbian and gay) orientation, and also to those whose theology and stance would be critical of attitudes to sexuality other than abstinence outside marriage. We rejoice in both, and it must be our prayer that discussion following the Windsor Report and the Primates’ Meeting will enable the energy of both to be harnessed to serve the Church and the proclamation of the gospel.

While on this topic, Gathering grace has a good post on trying to deal with this division in our churches without being polarised.

pax et bonum

Article posted at 10:23am on 23 March 2005
Category: Faith, Struggling