A permanent split in the worldwide Anglican communion over gay rights has been averted after archbishops overwhelmingly agreed to impose sanctions against the liberal US church and issue a statement in support of the “traditional doctrine” that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
The punitive measures and conservative statement were agreed on the penultimate day of a week long summit in Canterbury, which was aimed at moving beyond deep divisions over homosexuality between liberals and conservatives in the church that counts 85m people as its members.
An agreement, published on Thursday evening, said that the US Episcopal church had made changes to its definition of marriage that represented “a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our provinces on the doctrine of marriage”.
In a passage which is likely to dismay liberal Anglicans, the agreement added: “The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching.” » | Harriet Sherwood, Religion correspondent | Thursday, January 14, 2016
