The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, speaking on behalf of the Bishops, said today that the 2005 pastoral statement on civil partnerships, produced by a group he chaired, “was silent on the issue” of whether priests should be eligible for episcopal appointment. He said that “while the relevant legal background was analysed in a recently published Legal Office note (News, 27 May), the House acknowledges its responsibility to address the policy issue”.
In addition, the Bishops have pledged to tackle the whole issue of homosexuality. In a parallel review, it will take “a wider look at the Church of England’s approach to same-sex relationships . . . in the light of the listening process launched by the Lambeth Conference in 1998”, Bishop James said. It intends to publish a consultation document in 2013.
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(Church Times) C of E House of Bishops will review same-sex relations
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, speaking on behalf of the Bishops, said today that the 2005 pastoral statement on civil partnerships, produced by a group he chaired, “was silent on the issue” of whether priests should be eligible for episcopal appointment. He said that “while the relevant legal background was analysed in a recently published Legal Office note (News, 27 May), the House acknowledges its responsibility to address the policy issue”.
In addition, the Bishops have pledged to tackle the whole issue of homosexuality. In a parallel review, it will take “a wider look at the Church of England’s approach to same-sex relationships . . . in the light of the listening process launched by the Lambeth Conference in 1998”, Bishop James said. It intends to publish a consultation document in 2013.
Read it all.