Last June, the supreme decision-making body of the Anglican Church of Canada, General Synod, voted to reject a motion that would have allowed individual dioceses to authorise same-sex blessings. Despite that rejection, the Diocese of Ottawa Synod meeting next month will consider a motion to go ahead and authorise ‘em anyway.
The diocese of Ottawa’s regularly scheduled synod will decide Oct. 12-13 whether to request its bishop to grant permission for clergy to bless same-sex relationships.
It is the first diocese to consider the matter since the triennial General Synod, the Anglican Church of Canada’s national governing body, agreed in June that same-sex blessings are “not in conflict” with core church doctrine, but declined by a slim margin to affirm the authority of dioceses to offer them.
Apparently, the instigators of the Ottawa motion are playing on the ambiguity created when General Synod decided SSBs do not conflict with “core doctrine” but then voted not to allow them.
Alan Perry, a canon law expert from the diocese of Montreal, said there is nothing in the church’s canons or constitution that prevents a diocese from going forward with same-sex blessings now that General Synod has said they do not contravene core doctrine. “The mechanism for the diocese as a whole to make such a decision would be a synod motion requesting the bishops to authorize such a liturgy,” he said. If a bishop decides to authorize such a liturgy, “then the deed is done,” he said.
General Synod, he observed, has not stated who, if anyone, has the authority to authorize the blessing of same-sex unions.
That’s because General Synod decided not to give anyone the authority to authorise them.
If this arguably illegal motion passes, it will be up to Ottawa’s new bishop John Chapman to do the right thing.
Another problem Ottawa Synod must ponder is the plan to close up to one-third of its parishes due to poor attendance. Some might consider that an example of what happens to a church that follows bad advice.
Cross posted at Magic Statistics.
Welcome Scott!
Did you see the piece in July by the Rev. Canon Eric Beresford, Atlantic School of Theology president, in which he commented on General Synod’s decisions? He titled his Globe & Mail web-exclusive article “Anglicans: a church in confusion.” Like Alan Perry, his premise was that, by saying the blessing of same-sex unions is a ‘matter indifferent,’ the General Synod appears to have approved the rite, despite efforts by the bishops to stop it. His view was that it would now be very difficult to prevent same-sex blessings. Perhaps Ottawa is pushing the envelop in a effort to force a “legal opinion”? However, does the Anglican Church of Canada want a definitive statement before Lambeth 2008 (June)?
This will be interesting to watch. We need to pray for orthodox clergy in liberal diocese who are coming under increasing pressure.
Yes, welcome Scott. I read Magic Statistics all the time. Another voice as the Reformation of the Church proceeds.
Nice to have you here. I checked out MagicStatistics and love it. It’s on my favourites already. And yes, I too would love to see this become a more active blog.
Now the Diocese of Montreal will vote on the same resolution blessing same sex unions at its synod Oct 19th. (See http://www.montreal.anglican.ca/synod/circular.htm, Motions, Memorials and Petitions (motion L)
I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for Bishop John to do the right thing. I’m just sayin’
Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
Mrs Falstaff, I hear ya.
[...] Ottawa Anglican appears to think it likely that Bp Chapman will accept the motion and allow SSBs in the [...]