(Please note: for key background material on this you need to read this,that and this; KSH).
In his closing comments the mover of the motion, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel of Sydney, laid out what he understood to be the pivotal moment that the synod had arrived at; what synod was being asked to affirm here is unremarkable and if it could not pass then “something is fundamentally awry”. He reminded the attentive hall that a failure to pass the motion would effectively be adopting a stance contrary to that which had been repeatedly affirmed by successive General Synods.
The vote was called and immediately there was a move to call the vote by houses. Synod voted as follows:
| For | Against | |
| Laity | 63 | 47 |
| Clergy | 70 | 39 |
| Bishops | 10 | 12 |
Despite an overwhelming majority (greater than that in favour of same-sex marriage amongst the general population in the recent plebiscite) the Bishops narrowly voted against. Archbishop Raffel asked for leave for a personal statement and reminded the synod that this was a tipping point issue in Provinces around the Communion, going so far as to suggest that if dioceses now proceeded to simply act on their own on this contentious matter there was, perhaps, little point in meeting together in this way in the future.
Following a request from Raffel we adjourned early for lunch.
The mood around the room was best described as sombre. There were tears and prayers amongst many of the orthodox. The common lament was that our bishops could so willingly abandon orthodoxy and in the face of such a clear majority amongst the church.
General Synod Day 3 – Bishops Out of Touch? https://t.co/Gu4IulAEwv via @davidould
— David Ould ن (Minitrue / Miniluv) (@davidould) May 11, 2022