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Church of England to allow same-sex blessings in move condemned as 'betrayal' by opponents

Justin Welby unveils plans to allow Church of England priests to bless same-sex couples but stops short of legalising gay marriage

Archbishop of Canterbury says new prayers will be introduced following six-year consultation but insists doctrine of marriage as being between one man and one woman remains unchanged

The Church of England is to allow its priests to bless same-sex couples in a historic move that has been welcomed by LGBTQ+ campaigners but condemned as a "betrayal" by opponents. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, unveiled the plans at a press conference on Thursday, saying that new prayers of blessing will be introduced following a six-year consultation on the issue. However, he insisted that the doctrine of marriage as being between one man and one woman remains unchanged. The move is a significant step forward for the Church of England, which has been wrestling with the issue of homosexuality for decades. In 1991, the Church ruled that homosexual acts were "incompatible with Scripture", and in 1998 it banned gay priests from entering into same-sex relationships. However, there has been a growing movement within the Church in recent years to change its stance on same-sex relationships. In 2013, the Church of England voted to allow women to become bishops, and in 2017 it voted to allow gay clergy to enter into civil partnerships. The new prayers of blessing will be available to same-sex couples who have already had a civil marriage or partnership. They will be similar to the prayers of blessing that are currently available to heterosexual couples, but they will include specific language that is appropriate for same-sex relationships. The move has been welcomed by LGBTQ+ campaigners, who have long argued that the Church of England should be more inclusive. Jayne Ozanne, the founder of the Ozanne Foundation, said: "This is a historic day for the Church of England and for LGBTQ+ people in this country." "The decision to allow same-sex blessings is a sign that the Church is listening to the voices of LGBTQ+ people and is moving in a more inclusive direction." However, the move has also been condemned by opponents, who argue that it is a betrayal of traditional Christian teaching. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: "I am deeply concerned about the decision to allow same-sex blessings. I believe that this is a departure from the teaching of Scripture." "I am also concerned about the impact that this decision will have on the unity of the Church of England. I fear that it will lead to further division and conflict." The decision is likely to be debated at the Church of England's General Synod in February. It is not yet clear whether the new prayers of blessing will be approved by the Synod, but the move is seen as a significant step towards the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the Church of England.