The proposals of the Church of England’s House of Bishops to allow homosexual clergy to enter civil partnerships with a vow of abstinence has emerged, according to a press report by the Times newspaper at the end of May. While the news has been widely circulated across the world, the conservatives in the Anglican Communion have expressed extreme concern to the rumour.
Anglican Mainstream, a major conservative evangelical group in the Anglican Communion, has released a statement on Monday to address the issue. Anglican Mainstream strictly discourages clergy to enter civil partnerships in the view to uphold the clear-cut orthodox Christian teaching: "marriage is a life-long union between a man and a woman and that sexual intercourse properly belongs within marriage exclusively".
On the brink of Britain’s Civil Partnership Act 2004 (CPA) which will come into effect on 5th December, the Church of England is now due to define its doctrine and discipline regarding same-sex union.
Anglican Mainstream stated, "If the leaks to the press are to be believed, the House of Bishops is contemplating allowing clergy to enter into civil partnerships but only on condition that they will respect the Church’s discipline and remain sexually abstinent."
Such proposals, to a certain extent, could imply a message that a civil partnership does not and cannot amount to a marriage, and cannot change the principle that sexual union is appropriate only within marriage, Anglican Mainstream commented.
Yet, as derived from the Bible, "marriage is a life-long union between a man and a woman and that sexual intercourse properly belongs within marriage exclusively". Therefore, Anglican Mainstream warns of the Church’s self-contradiction and ambiguity if it is to advocate "sexless marriage for gays".
"...the result will be headlines such as ‘Gay clergy can marry’. The church cannot blame the media and the general public for coming to this obvious conclusion," the statement said.
Anglican Mainstream concluded, "Because the legislation is ambiguous, it would be inappropriate and damaging to the Church’s pastoral ministry if bishops were to encourage Anglicans to enter civil partnerships, since these will be misunderstood as marriage."
"The Church of England should not allow its clergy to enter into civil partnerships, as at present constituted under the Civil Partnerships Act. The same discipline should apply to bishops, clergy, lay leaders and all communicant members of the Church of England," Anglican Mainstream declared its position.
