The Church of England is poised to rethink its centuries-old doctrine of marriage to accommodate same-sex couples, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have signalled.<\/p>\n
In a letter to a leading Anglican gay rights campaigner, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said that Church’s teaching on sexuality was a \u201cmatter for discussion\u201d\u009d during a series of special meetings being held behind closed doors.<\/p>\n
The letter, sent on behalf of himself and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, he said the \u201coutcome\u201d\u009d of the discussions was still open.<\/p>\n
His comments make clear that the Church has not ruled out reconsidering its traditional teaching that marriage is only between a man and a woman and that sex outside of marriage is a \u201csin\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
But senior clerics have repeatedly acknowledged that any change to the Church of England\u2019s position on the issue could trigger a split.<\/p>\n
Last month its US sister church, The Episcopal Church, was partially excluded from the global Anglican Communion for changing its official definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.<\/p>\n
Dr Sentamu\u2019s comments came in a reply to Jayne Ozanne, a gay member of the decision-making General Synod who co-ordinated a letter signed by more than 100 senior Anglicans calling on the Church of England to \u201crepent\u201d\u009d of its attitude towards homosexuality.<\/p>\n
Archbishop Welby launched a process of \u201cfacilitated conversations\u201d\u009d last year aimed at achieving \u201cgood disagreement\u201d\u009d between liberals and traditionalists over the issue of sexuality.<\/p>\n
The meetings, taking place in small groups, are being overseen by a team of \u201cfacilitators\u201d\u009d led by the Archbishop\u2019s reconciliation director, Canon David Porter, a Belfast-born peacemaker.<\/p>\n
Much of the General Synod\u2019s main annual meeting in York in July is to be given over to the special meetings from which ordinary churchgoers, the public and the media will be excluded.<\/p>\n