Toronto issues guidelines for blessing same gender couples

The An­glican diocese of Toronto has issued guidelines for clergy to use in considering requests by same-sex couples for blessings. The guidelines are a pastoral response to committed gay and lesbian couples but are “not an authorized rite of the Anglican dio­cese of Toronto”. Some say this distinction is important, that adopting a rite for blessing same gender couples would spark conflict with the Archbishop of Canterbury and others.

The College of Bishops acknow­ledges that the guidelines might strain the “gracious restraint” called for in the 2004 Windsor report, which included moratoria on ap­point­ing someone in a same-sex relationship as a bishop, authorising same-sex blessings, and intervening in another province. More @ Church Times.