[Ed. Note: Montreal becomes the third diocese of Canada to authorise gay marriage after their Synod refused to allow these blessings last July. Cheryl M. Wetzel]
Monday, 29th October 2007. 3:23pm
By: George Conger.
THE MONTREAL diocesan synod has asked its bishop to authorise the blessing of gay civil marriages.
Following two hours of debate on Oct 19 the resolution passed both houses of synod, by a margin of 44-25 amongst the clergy and by 59-32 in the laity, making Montreal the third Canadian diocese after New Westminster and Ottawa to vote for gay blessings.
Montreal Bishop Barry Clarke, who at last June’s General Synod backed giving diocesan synods the authority to authorise gay blessings, support ed his diocese’s move, saying he was ‘glad we came to a place where we made a decision.’ Asked by the Montreal Gazette if the gay blessings vote would promote controversy, Bishop Clarke responded: “Hey, why not?”
However, Bishop Clarke said the vote will not immediately change diocesan policies. He said he needed ‘time to reflect’ and would ‘consult further’ with the Canadian bishops at their Oct 25-30 meeting.
The conservative Anglican Network in Canada [ANiC] said it was ‘hurt and deeply saddened’ by the vote. “There is a growing momentum [in the Canadian Church] to ignore biblical teaching, disregard the views of the global Church, and even ignore the principles on which the Canadian Church was founded,” said ANiC’s moderator, Bishop Donald Harvey.
“Biblically-faithful Canadian Anglicans are increasingly feeling that they no longer have a home within their denomination,” ANiC said. “In its rush to discard its heritage and conform to current culture, their church has abandoned them.” Archbishop Fred Hiltz said the vote was a ‘reflection of the mind of the church.’ He said: “Due process was followed in the handling of this resolution.”
