Lambeth conference same-sex ‘call’ revised after furious backlash
As bishops from all over the world arrived in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference, the inflammatory Call seeking re-affirmation of a same-sex marriage ban was revised following a shocked outcry. The wording has dramatically changed from stating that same-gender marriage is not permissible and the legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions cannot be advised, to stating the facts. It says there is disagreement and a plurality of views on human sexuality, full members of the church must be treated with respect, and while some provinces say same-gender marriage is not permissible, others bless and welcome same-sex marriage. The “call” ends: “As bishops we remain committed to listening and walking together to the maximum possible degree, despite our deep disagreement on these issues.” The revision is contained in an updated version of the entire booklet listing all the calls on various topics. And in a further change, all bishops will now be allowed to vote against calls. This had previously not been offered as a choice.
Investigation and apology sought
The bishops of Norwich, Manchester, and London , on behalf of Living in Love and Faith, welcomed the change. But there are demands for an explanation as to how the original wording was allowed to be printed when it was not agreed or even discussed by the group considering the issue. And the Rev Dr Charlie Bell tweeted that there had not been one word acknowledging the hurt caused to LGBTQ+ people.
Legal ‘illiteracy’ of original same-sex ‘call‘
Professor Mark Hill, QC, who specialises in law and religion, says his key concern is “the legal and ecclesiological illiteracy” of the original wording of the call. Writing a guest blog for Law and Religion UK, he says the bishops at the conference are not representatives and they cannot make declarations on behalf of the Anglican Communion; they can only speak for themselves. Although the mind of the communion cannot be measured or expressed, he says it can be revealed through a comparative analysis of the laws of each legally autonomous church. A recent piece of research, to be presented to the conference next week, analysed the laws of all churches in the communion and found that the only matter on which it was unable to find a common principle concerned the nature and definition of marriage.
Lambeth Conference: watch your heart rate
Ruth Gledhill, assistant editor at The Tablet, covered many Lambeth Conferences when she was at The Times. As she watches Lambeth 2022 from afar, she writes: “I just re-read “My Lambeth Hell”, an article I wrote for The Tablet after the awful 1998 Lambeth. During the few minutes it took to do this, my Apple watch recorded that my heart rate went from 57 to 82.”
Read our explainer on the conference here and a helpful Lambeth glossary here.
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