The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage, telling the General Synod in York that the Government has ‘no mandate’ to proceed with its plan to redefine marriage.
When asked about the issue this weekend at a meeting of the General Synod, the Church of England’s governing body, Dr Williams indicated his concern over the Government’s clear lack of mandate for its plans.
“The basis of the mandate for changing the state’s understanding of marriage given the lack of any commitment in the election manifestos of the main parties has been one of the many issues raised in those discussions,” he said.
When asked by a lay Synod member from Kent, Gerald O’Brien, whether this meant that Dr Williams “does not accept that the Government has a mandate to make these changes”, the Archbishop replied:
“I think that would be a reasonable inference”.
Church of England response
The Archbishop’s reply comes after the Church of England released an uncompromising official statement on same-sex ‘marriage’ last month in response to the Government’s consultation on the issue.
The document strongly opposed the plan to redefine marriage and claimed that it could lead to the separation of church and state, as canon law would come into conflict with national law.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu have previously warned that the Government’s proposals to extend marriage to same-sex couples were “not legally sound” and would create “open season” in the courts for legal challenges.
Many are concerned that churches may be forced to marry same-sex couples under European anti-discrimination laws, despite any statutory exemptions for religious bodies such as those promised by the Government.
Despite assurances from Theresa May that no church would be forced to conduct same-sex marriages, Justice Minister Crispin Blunt let slip to the BBC two weeks ago:
“It would be hard to guarantee that clergy would not face court challenges if they refused to preside over same-sex unions. We’re seeking to protect, indeed, proscribe religious organisations from offering gay marriage. That may be problematic legally…We’ll have to see what happens with that.”
Further talks
Dr Williams this weekend also said that discussions between Government officials and clergy are taking place around the Government’s plans.
“Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last autumn there have already been several formal and informal discussions with a number of Government ministers, including the Home Secretary. There have also been discussions between Home Office and Church House officials,” he said.
Comment
Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said:
“The Archbishop is right that there is no mandate to redefine marriage. It is a political move with consequences that few politicians have yet to engage with.
“It will redefine and weaken the institution of marriage itself, it will change what is taught in schools, and it will severely threaten religious freedoms.
“The European Court is likely to insist that both homosexual and heterosexual married couples are treated in exactly the same way under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, regardless of any Government safeguards.
“Therefore, further down the line, churches may well be forced to host same-sex weddings. This would signal the effective end of religious freedom in the United Kingdom.”
Source
Resources
Church of England Consultation Response
Christian Concern: Religious Freedom