UK's bishops apologize to LGBTQI+ people for 'shameful' treatment
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[January 20, 2023]
By Muvija M
LONDON (Reuters) -Church of England bishops apologized to LGBTQI+ people
on Friday for the rejection and hostility they have faced, with the
Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging that the religious body was still
"very divided" on the subject.
The apology comes days after the Church of England set out proposals
developed by the bishops that showed it would refuse to allow same-sex
couples to get married in its churches, but said priests could bless
them in church.
"We have not loved you as God loves you, and that is profoundly wrong,"
the bishops said in an open letter. "We affirm, publicly and
unequivocally, that LGBTQI+ people are welcome and valued: we are all
children of God.
"The occasions on which you have received a hostile and homophobic
response in our churches are shameful and for this we repent."
The Church of England, central to one of the world's oldest Christian
institutions, the Anglican communion, stood by its teaching that
marriage is between "one man and one woman" in the proposals. Gay
marriage was legalized in Britain in 2013.
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A spokesperson for gay and transgender lobby group Stonewall said the
Church of England had "once again" fallen short on being inclusive and
supportive of LGBTQ+ Christians.
"An apology only goes so far when so many LGBTQ+ Christians have faced
hostility and discrimination for who they are," the spokesperson told
Reuters via e-mail.
SLOW TO CHANGE
The most high-profile support from a religious leader for same-sex
couples to get married in churches has come from the Bishop of Oxford,
Steven Croft, who apologized in November for having been slow to change
his views.
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![](../images/012023PIX/news_w26.jpg)
Intersex-Inclusive Pride flags, designed
by Valentino Vecchietti and used to represent the LGBTIQ+ community,
hang across Regent Street ahead of next weeks Pride parade in
London, Britain, June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
![](../images/012023PIX/news_w26.png)
On Friday, Croft said: "It is very good for us to be able to say
today that the church can now offer public services of blessing, but
we know that we have further to go."
Croft's call for a change has been backed publicly only by a few of
his fellow bishops, who along with clergy and laity form the Church
of England's governing body, known as the General Synod.
"We're divided, there's no point in pretending otherwise. The Church
of England and the Anglican Communion are very divided," Welby told
reporters on Friday, ahead of a meeting of the synod next month
where the proposals will be deliberated further.
"I'm sure that discussions will continue. But this is an enormously
important point, not only within the Anglican Communion and the
Church of England, but also across the global church," he added.
"It's a long journey. I'm sure that the last word hasn't been said."
(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James and Alex
Richardson)
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