Bishops within the Church of England announced today that they plan to review church teachings regarding homosexuality and, if appropriate, reconsider current policies regarding the appointment of gay bishops.
At present, the Church of England permits gay priests to serve the church. However, priests involved in same-sex civil partnerships are barred from appointment as bishops.
The Boston Globe reports that the House of Bishops will take the matter of civil partnerships and LGBT clergy under review until next year, at which point a broader review of the church’s policies and overall attitude toward gay and lesbian priests and individuals will be released. The House stated that the published review will be available by 2013.
Bishop of Norwich Rev. Graham James said in a statement that, thus far, bishops in the Church of England have dedicated very little time to the matter of homosexuality since 2005 – the last time they institution issued a statement regarding LGBT individuals and attitudes. He added that strong disagreement amongst members of the global Anglican Communion have strained discussions of the matter in years past.
