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Content about Homosexuality and Anglicanism

April 28, 2013
Gay bishop could become third-most senior cleric in Church of England

Openly gay Dr. Jeffrey John could become the next Bishop of Durham, the third-most powerful position in the Anglican Church

An openly gay bishop could become the third-highest ranking cleric in the Church of England.

Dr. Jeffrey John, Dean of St. Albans, is being considered for the role of Bishop of Durham, a position previously held by the now-leader of the Anglican Church Archbishop of Canterbury Rev. Justin Welby.

According to British newspaper The Telegraph, the panel responsible for appointing the next Bishop of Durham was told on Friday (26 April) that the new appointee should be able to establish ‘positive relationships’ with gay Anglicans.

March 17, 2013
Anglican Bishop of Liverpool calls for blessings for same-sex civil partners

One of the most senior Church of England bishops has broken ranks with colleagues to say that the church should offer blessing services for same-sex couples in civil partnerships

Liverpool Anglican Bishop James Jones has broken ranks with other senior Church of England clergy to call for blessing services to be offered to same-sex couples in civil partnerships.

‘Over the years I have shared with you my thinking about how the gospel of embrace may be felt by those who are gay,’ Jones said in an address to the Diocese of Liverpool Synod.

March 14, 2013
The gay Catholic who has refused to have sex his whole life

Stephen Guest isn’t a priest but decided at 12 that as a gay man it would be a sin to ever have sex, or even masturbate, and has remained celibate ever since

In the church Pope Francis I has inherited, it may be hard to believe any normal gay Catholic could be sufficiently devout to have abstained from any kind of sex for his whole life.

But that is what Stephen Guest, now aged 44, has done from 12-years-old when he first started to realize his sexuality.

Guest contacted Gay Star News to question whether we were being fair in our coverage of the Catholic Church. He is not a priest but believes that to have gay sex would be a grave sin. It would condemn his soul to eternal damnation.

January 5, 2013
Fury and praise over Church of England allowing gay bishops

Liberals and Conservatives have weighed in on the announcement gay men will be allowed to become bishops, as long as they remain celibate

The Church of England has created further divisions in their ranks in their announcement over gay bishops yesterday (4 January).

As long as they remain celibate in a civil partnership, any gay man will be allowed to become a bishop without fear of being forced to step down.

Conservative evangelicals have called it ‘divisive’, but several liberal groups have welcomed the move.

January 4, 2013
Church of England to allow gay clergy to become bishops

A decade after gay cleric Jeffrey John was forced to step down as a bishop by traditionalist Christians, the CoE have said they have evolved on allowing gay bishops

The Church of England has dropped its ban on gay clergy becoming bishops.

This announcement, from the Church’s House of Bishops, would allow clergy in civil partnerships to become bishops if they promised to be celibate, the BBC reports.

In 2003, the issue split the church when gay cleric Jeffrey John, who has always maintained his celibacy, became a Bishop of Reading.

John, now Dean of St Albans, was forced to step down from the role after protests from traditionalists.

January 2, 2013
First gay Anglican Bishop Gene Robinson prepares to step down this week

'I leave this job loving it more than when I started'

Gene Robinson made history back in 2003 when he became the first openly gay man to be ordained a bishop in a major Christian denomination.

On 5 January, the 65-year-old is stepping down as a New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop and is reflecting on what has changed nearly a decade after the international uproar that came when he undertook the high-profile job.

September 15, 2012
Bishop slams Christians who use Bible to attack gay marriage

Gene Robinson, the first US priest to be in a same-sex relationship when he was ordained, has released a pro-gay book

For all the Christians that use their Bible to attack same-sex marriage, a US bishop is suggesting they should take a closer look at the scripture.

In Gene Robinson’s new book, God Believes In Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage, the gay Episcopalian bishop deconstructs the most seemingly homophobic passages in the Bible.

He believes, at best, the orders against gay sex are products of a time in which all people were assumed to be born heterosexual.

September 9, 2012
Rowan Williams sorry over Anglican Church's past treatment of gays

Archbishop of Canterbury, who will be stepping down in December, has admitted he has not done enough to stop divisions in the Church

In one of his last interviews as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has admitted he did not do enough to prevent divisions within the Anglican Church over homosexuality.

Williams, who will be stepping down as the head of the Church of England in December, has said the church was wrong for its past treatment of gay people.

August 21, 2012
NZ Bishops anti-gay marriage call rejected by other clergy

A coalition of over 50 New Zealand Christian leaders have rejected a call by the country’s Catholic bishops for young voters to oppose marriage equality

New Zealand’s six Catholic bishops have written to young Catholic voters to urge them to oppose marriage equality which they say would threaten ‘society as a whole.’

‘This is no small matter, nor quibbling about words; this is an attempt to re-engineer the status and structure of family life in New Zealand and elsewhere,’ the bishops warned.

July 24, 2012
God backs gay marriage, says cleric

The Church of England has not acted with 'integrity' so do not deserve to be listened to, according to Dean of St Albans in Out4Marriage video

The most senior gay cleric in the UK is saying God backs marriage equality, and has attacked the Church of England for failing to ‘speak with integrity’ on the issue.

The Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, attacked the Church for failing to take a ‘Christian view’ on gay marriage, and saying they should be rejoicing it.

In a video for the Out4Marriage campaign, he says: ‘I am sad because the Church is meant is show Christ’s face to the world and on this subject, it doesn’t.’

July 9, 2012
US church may allow trans ministers

The American Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops has approved a proposal to hire transgender men and women for a final vote

The USA’s Episcopal Church has approved a proposal on hiring transgender men and women to become bishops or ministers and is awaiting a final vote.

The institution's House of Bishops approved proposals allowing ‘gender identity and expression’, meaning it no longer discriminates against trans people as candidates for ministerial positions, reports the Global Times.

May 21, 2012
Three gay films star in Sheffield documentary festival

One gay UK and European premier will feature at this year's festival 

AIDS-panicked New York and the darkest hour for gay people in Uganda are both profiled in a documentary film festival in north east England.

Now in its 19th year, the internationally acclaimed Sheffield Doc/Fest will be taking over the screens of Sheffield city centre for five days in June.

The festival will include 83 feature documentaries, 10 outdoor screenings and 27 shorts. Many films will be followed by a question and answer session by the filmmaker.

This years program features three films about gay culture, including one European premiere.

March 16, 2012
Archbishop of Canterbury, who blocked gay equality, quits

Dr Rowan Williams, the 'liberal' who opposed continued Church of England homophobia will stand down

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams will step down from his position as the head of the Anglican church in December.

The 61-year-old church leader, who in 2010 came close to splitting over the ordination of gay clergy and women bishops, has said in a statement on his website that standing down was not an easy decision.

Williams was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002 and will take the position of Master of Magdalene College at Cambridge University in January.