Reverend Dr. But he said there needs to be a discussion about how the church deals with the issue going forward. “Any settlement must be based on love and respect: love and respect for LGBTQ+ people and their families inside and outside the church, love and respect for those who hold different views,” he added. In a 52-page essay, Croft apologized for the church’s stance on gay relationships, especially its slowness to “come to better decisions and practice on these matters.” But the bishop also said the clergy should be able to refuse to opt out of any new arrangements, saying it must be recognized that maintaining a “traditional view of marriage and human sexuality” is a “legitimate and honorable position”. Croft’s statement is significant in light of current laws preventing Church of England ministers from performing same-sex weddings. In the article, Croft said: “I must acknowledge, right at the beginning of this essay, the acute pain and anguish of LGBTQ+ people in the life of the church. “I’m sorry that, corporately, we’ve been so slow as a church to make better decisions and practice on these issues. I am sorry that my own views have been slow to change and that my actions and lack of action have caused genuine pain, discord and pain. I remain on a very steep learning curve. “Hearing that pain and anguish was key to my own journey and changes in my own views.” The bishop added that he wanted to see the removal of legal barriers preventing same-sex marriages within the church and would like to see public blessing services regarding same-sex marriages held in churches. The essay also argued that clergy should have the freedom of conscience to perform their own same-sex marriages. Speaking of those he described as holding “more conservative positions”, he said he did not want to see people feel left out as a result of any changes. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He wrote: “They are sisters and brothers in Christ. It would be a tragedy if a journey towards inclusion for one group of Christians became an experience of exclusion for another.” Bishops are considering proposing any changes to teachings on same-sex relationships this week ahead of the General Synod in February – where a vote could take place after decades of divisive debate. Their proposals must be submitted by the end of the year, marked by a conscientious objection clause for Orthodox clergy. Croft is the only serving C of E bishop or archbishop to publicly call for such a change, although Anglican churches in Scotland have started same-sex services. In August, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, confirmed the validity of a statement made in 1998 that gay sex was a sin, but said he would not seek to discipline C of E churches that performed or blessed same-sex marriages.
