*First published at Kent Buzz*
The Bishops of the Church of England have penned an apology letter admitting LGBTQI+ people have been “failed” at times, but they should be and are “welcome and valued”.
This comes after the Church announced it will bless same-sex couples in a civil marriage for the first time, however their stance on gay marriage has not changed and same-sex couples are still unable to marry in church.
The Church plans, to allow same-sex couples to attend church for services including prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and God’s blessing following a legal marriage ceremony.
The Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed proposals to bless same-sex married couples in a press conference on Friday but said he will not personally carry them out due to his “pastoral responsibility for the whole communion”.
Nathan Ward, Vicar for St Margaret’s Church in Rainham, wants everybody to be able to “fully participate in the life of the church.”
He said: “We believe that every human being is made in the image of God and when God made them, God saw that they were good.
“If we believe that everyone is made in the image of God then how we approach each other is ultimately how we approach God; how we treat each other is how we treat God.”
It will be voluntary for clergy to decide whether they want to perform them, similarly to the situation with the marriage of people who have been divorced.
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