General Convention 2009 began to undermine the authority of the BCP when it authorized its Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to develop \u201ctheological and liturgical resources for the blessing of same gender relationships\u201d\u009d (Res. 2009C056; emphasis added)\u201d\u201dall the while pretending that no changes were being made to traditional marriage as celebrated in the BCP. In response to its work, General Convention 2012 commended . . . for study and use in congregations and dioceses\u201d\u009d certain rites for the \u201cWitnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant in a same-sex relationship\u201d\u009d (Res. 2012A049; emphasis added).<\/p>\n
Do you see the subtle word games going on to this point? God forfend that General Convention should be doing anything to alter marriage as such; all it is purporting to do is to develop some experimental liturgical rites to celebrate \u201csame-sex relationships\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
But now look at what has happened. The General Convention\u2019s Task Force on the Study of Marriage has proposed to revise Canon I.18 (\u201cOn Marriage\u201d\u009d). I\u2019m not going to reproduce all of the proposed changes here; you can see them for yourself, at pp. 4-6 of the document at the link just given. Just notice, if you will, that as the title goes, so goes the Canon\u201d\u201dthe title is changed from \u201cOf the Solemnization of Holy Matrimony\u201d\u009d to \u201cOf the Celebration and Blessing of Marriage.\u201d\u009d The words \u201cHoly Matrimony\u201d\u009d are removed from Sections 1, 2 and 3, so that the Canon (if amended) will speak only to \u201cmarriage\u201d\u009d as such; and no longer to what is defined by the Book of Common Prayer as \u201cthe union of a man and a woman.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
And what is the significance of that change? Seemingly it is rather subtle on the surface, but beneath the surface it runs very deep, into the heart of the Church….<\/p>\n