From the Peterborough Examiner:
Anglican Bishop John Chapman is allowing an Ottawa church to offer blessings for same-sex couples who are already civilly married.
“My intention is to embrace a liturgical process that will not discriminate between members of the church on the basis of sexual orientation,” Chapman told a congregation Thursday night at the beginning of the diocese’s annual synod. “This will be Ottawa’s offering to the ongoing discernment that is happening throughout the Anglican Church of Canada.”
St. John the Evangelist, at the corner of Somerset and Elgin streets, will be the only Anglican church in Ottawa offering the blessing as long as one person in the couple is baptized. The church, considered one of the more progressive Anglican churches with a strong connection to the gay community, asked the diocese in 2002 for permission to offer same-sex blessings.
“For me it’s an issue of inclusion,” Chapman said in an interview with the Sun.
Chapman called the blessings “experimental” and said nothing at this point is carved in stone.
“I think this is evolving slowly and that’s been the intent,” he said, noting that changing any philosophy in the church is a measured process.
Chapman said liberal Anglicans in the diocese will likely believe the blessing protocol doesn’t go far enough, while conservative-minded parishioners might think it goes too far. Chapman believes it’s a healthy balance.
The Ottawa diocese started a task force in 1997 with the mandate to encourage homosexuals to participate fully in the church. Parishioners approved a formal motion asking the bishop to approve same-sex blessings at the 2007 synod.
Chapman said although the most newsy item from his address Thursday might be same-sex blessings, he hopes parishioners will heed his plea to fight child poverty in Ottawa.
“I want us to work hard on that this year,” he said, calling child poverty a “heightening problem” in the city.
Gerry [#46],
Since this blog is scrutinised by so many from the ACoC, is this not the place for them to be reading the Truth whether put bluntly by some or so very nicely by others?
Certainly, and I am all for blunt. To be convincing, it should be rationally defensible too, though
#31
Brother Stuck, I won’t be at the ANIC Synod, but thanks for asking. The frost is now regularly on the pumpkins and this Traveler is once again preparing to move to a warmer climate.
See you in the spring, snowbird!
Hey trav any chance of you swingin by and pickin me up? after all I’m stuck here! ……OK OK just thought I’d ask. I pray safe travels and I hope you will be able to blog in once in awhile.
Brother Gerry read my 28 again bro, agree with David, Love Kate (I hear she is quite lovely and mellows considerably after her second glass of bubbly) and settle in to the fact that the universe is unfolding exactly as it should. I mean what other choice does it have? …. this is our Father’s world.
Stuck in TO: #55 – Thanks stuck, have done…..agree with you.
Since I am not Bill in Ottawa, I have no knowledge of Kate’s abilities with bubbly.
The universe is unfolding exactly as it should and will continue to do so until Christ comes again to rule the earth.