Dissension in the Anglican Church over "gay marriage © N.N.
Disagreement in the Anglican Church on how to deal with "gay marriage": The leaders of the 39 church provinces worldwide have decided on sanctions against the Episcopal Church in Scotland in protest against same-sex marriages.
According to British media reports, the decision was already made on Tuesday at the world meeting of the heads of church provinces in Canterbury, England. The Episcopal Church in Scotland had voted in June this year to introduce church weddings for same-sex couples and last month performed a first marriage ceremony of homosexual partners.
According to the media reports, the sanctions imposed by the Anglican bishops mean the three-year exclusion of Scottish Anglicans from decision-making and representative bodies.
Disappointment among Scots
The primate of Scottish Anglicans, Mark Strange, expressed disappointment with the decision of the Anglican bishops. He acknowledges that the Scottish Synod's decision in favor of gay marriage "caused hurt and anger in parts of the Anglican community".
But he said his church has decided that "love means love" – regardless of sexual orientation. From this position, however, he said he would seek to rebuild relations with the other Anglican provinces.
African boycott
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Anglican Church, Justin Welby, also said he was "very saddened" by Tuesday's decision. The primates of Nigeria, Uganda and Rwanda boycotted the world meeting of Anglican bishops, citing the ie of sexuality and the liberal course of some national churches. They did not even travel to the meeting.