Church investigates gay clergy blessing

The Church of England has launched an investigation after vows and rings were exchanged between two homosexual clergymen in one of London's oldest churches.

The Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, has asked his archdeacon to look into last month's service at the 12th century St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield.

About 300 guests joined the Reverend Dr David Lord, a New Zealander, and English clergyman Peter Cowell at the service, led by the Reverend Martin Dudley.

"Peter and David contracted a civil partnership, not in church because we are not authorised to do that then came to church to celebrate that," Dudley told Reuters.

"Many of the elements of a wedding would be in a blessing of a register office marriage even though we are not going to marry the people.

"And so because of the commitment of one person to another person it sounds pretty much the same however you do it, so there were aspects of it that were wedding-like.

"But the key difference is that I do not actually believe you can marry people of the same sex."

He said he had agreed to lead the service because Cowell, a London hospital chaplain and priest, was a colleague and a friend. They had worked at length on the text, which he believed did not flout any rules.

The House of Bishops set out guidelines in 2005 which said clergy should not provide services of blessing for civil partnerships, but should respond "pastorally and sensitively" to requests for prayer.

The church is split over homosexuality, exacerbated by the U.S. Episcopal Church's consecration of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in 2003 and the first authorised gay blessing service in Canada.

Traditionalists, particularly in Africa, home to more than half the world's Anglicans, have attempted to exclude liberal-leaning clergy and their congregations.

Liberals argue that throughout its history Anglicanism has embraced diverse views. It is not clear how many such services have taken place in the UK.

"I am not a campaigner in this field. I did not set out to provoke," Dudley added. "I responded to a request from a colleague and a friend. I am sure it was the right thing to do."

The Times newspaper reported that hundreds of priests are set to quit over plans which are to go before the General Synod in York next month to consecrate women bishops after they failed secure the concessions they had sought.

Traditionalists are seeking legal advice on whether it would be possible to sue the Church for constructive dismissal under employment law, the paper reported.