David Ould reports on a bishops’ agreement in the Anglican Church of Australia that has come to light this month:
It is clear from the document that any bishop wishing to push ahead in any way with affirmation of same-sex marriage will be in an obvious breach of this agreement. It has been suggested to davidould.net that the agreement was required after a number of bishops suggested to their peers that they may proceed with some form of blessing of same-sex unions or even a marriage rite. Senior conservative figures that davidould.net have talked to since the agreement was made back in March have expressed their confidence in the document.
With this publication in the newspaper of the diocese of the Primate, not to mention the transparently conservative position taken by the 2017 General Synod, it seems clear that the boundaries and guidelines for any future engagement on this topic are firmly set.
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Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
