US Anglicans agree to halt gay bishop ordinations
NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — The US Episcopal Church has agreed to halt ordination of gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions, straining to try to prevent a painful split in the global Anglican Communion.
The church leaders who bowed to international pressure on those issues, however, also vowed late Tuesday to continue to fight for the recognition of the civil rights of homosexuals.
Tom Shaw, the bishop of Massachusetts, indicated that same-sex blessings might continue.
"Coming from a state, the only state, that has marriage equality in the United States, I am especially pleased for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in the church that we included the statement by the primates where they said that if there were personal, pastoral reasons for the blessing of same-sex unions that was something that was understood," he said at a press conference.
The church leaders who bowed to international pressure on those issues, however, also vowed late Tuesday to continue to fight for the recognition of the civil rights of homosexuals.
Tom Shaw, the bishop of Massachusetts, indicated that same-sex blessings might continue.
"Coming from a state, the only state, that has marriage equality in the United States, I am especially pleased for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in the church that we included the statement by the primates where they said that if there were personal, pastoral reasons for the blessing of same-sex unions that was something that was understood," he said at a press conference.
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