Church of England welcomes first openly gay bishop

A British bishop has become the first in the Church of England -- the mother church of the worldwide Anglican faith -- to announce he is homosexual, in an interview published Saturday.

Nicholas Chamberlain, the Bishop of Grantham in central England, told the Guardian newspaper he was in a long-term relationship with his male partner, after a Sunday paper reportedly said it was about to publish a story on his private life.

"It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming out," he said, adding that he adhered to church guidelines which stipulate that gay clergy must be celibate.

"People know I'm gay, but it's not the first thing I'd say to anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but it's my ministry that I want to focus on."

The church knew he was gay when he became a bishop last year, he revealed.

"I was myself. Those making the appointment knew about my sexual identity."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the world's Anglican faith, said Chamberlain's sexuality was "completely irrelevant".

"His appointment as Bishop of Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church in the diocese of Lincoln," he said.

"He lives within the bishops' guidelines and his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office."

Chamberlain said of his relationship: "It is faithful, loving, we are like-minded, we enjoy each other’s company and we share each other’s life."

A Church of England spokesman said it would have been "unjust" not to appoint him based due to his sexuality.

The Church of England dropped its opposition to gay clergymen in civil partnerships becoming bishops in 2013, although many of the Anglican faith worldwide -- who number 80 million -- were opposed.

The Anglican Church of Uganda in 2014 said it may consider breaking away from their mother church in England if it put Uganda under pressure over its tough anti-homosexuality law.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Church of England proposes 'blessings' for gay marriage

LONDON - Church of England clergy would be able to "bless" same-sex relationships under long-awaited proposals unveiled on Thursday as the church adopts a more open - but disputed - approach to homosexuality.

Although gay couples would still not be able to legally marry in a church, the proposed change would officially sanction clergy to let gay and lesbian couples mark and celebrate same-sex marriages and civil partnerships in a church service.

Critics swiftly condemned the "blessing" proposal as contrary to the church's teaching on sexual conduct.

The proposal was among 18 recommendations put forward by a working group set up two years ago amid growing tension over the church's approach to gay worshippers and clergy but could take up to two years of discussions before becoming policy.

Acknowledging the issue was divisive, group chairman Joseph Pilling said the church needed to reflect rapid changes in society as senior clergy express fears of a looming crisis, with falling attendance rates and failure to attract young people.

This year, parliament introduced new laws to allow gay marriages from 2014 after legalising civil partnerships in 2005 and the church dropped its ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops.

"You can make a church a cold place for gay and lesbian people ... or you can make it a more warm and accepting place," Pilling told a news conference.

"No member of the clergy, or parish, would be required to offer such services and it could not extend to solemnising same sex marriages without major changes to the law."

RELAXED ATTITUDE

Pilling said the group also suggested that the Church of England, mother church of the world's 80 million Anglicans, should address the issue of same-sex relationships with the wider Anglican community and other churches.

Critics said the proposed "blessing" ran counter to church teaching, which says couples can only have sex within marriage and that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

The one dissenting voice on the seven-strong committee, the Bishop of Birkenhead Keith Sinclair, said he did not believe the report offered a consistent or coherent response to questions of the church's response to sexuality.

Andrea Williams, founder of Christian Concern, which backs traditional marriage, and also a member of the Church of England governing body, the General Synod, said the proposed "blessing" would sow division and acrimony within the Church of England.

"The majority of Christians throughout the world and throughout history are committed to orthodox biblical teaching on marriage and sexuality," she said in a statement.

The spiritual head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, earlier this year reiterated his opposition to gay marriage, but also acknowledged there had been a "revolution" in attitudes towards homosexuality and that the church's stand could be seen as out-of-step with public opinion.

A national survey on sexual attitudes released this week showed that most Britons have a far more relaxed attitude towards same-sex relationships than in previous decades.

In 1990, fewer than one in four men aged 16 to 44 were tolerant of same-sex relationships but that figure was now nearly half and in women, the number jumped to 66 percent from 28 percent in 1990-91.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Prince George makes second outing for christening of the year

LONDON - After arriving to a global media frenzy, Britain's Prince George will make his second official appearance this week at a christening designed to be as low-key as possible for the world's most-hyped baby.

Prince George, third-in-line to the British throne, will be christened on October 23 in a private, 45-minute ceremony in the Chapel Royal at St James' Palace by the spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

George will become the formal head of the Church of England himself if he accedes to the throne.

Few were surprised by Prince William and his wife Kate's decision to break with tradition and not hold the service in Buckingham Palace as is typical for royal christenings.

The royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since their 2011 wedding, have made it clear they are not sticklers for tradition and their informality has helped portray a more modern, relevant royal family in austerity-hit Britain.

So far the only official photographs of Prince George are family snapshots taken by Kate's father Michael Middleton.

The christening will be the first time in over 100 years that four generations of royals are photographed together, with a picture of Queen Elizabeth, her son and heir Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George to be released after the event.

Although the christening will be held behind closed doors, tourists and well-wishers have already flocked to the 16th century St James' Palace built by Henry VIII in central London.

"In the States, the royals fascinate people, especially William and Kate who are young and approachable," said Sean Tyrrell, 44, a policeman from Manteca, California, outside the palace gate flanked by guards in red tunics and bearskin hats.

Style icon

German students Julia Magrian and Anne Krause, both aged 17, said they would be following the christening closely, keen to see what Kate wears. The "Kate-effect" is well-known, with anything the duchess wears prompting a sales rush.

"We like Kate because she is a link between royalty and the common people and she has great style," said Magrian.

Royal officials have released few details before the christening, allowing only one photographer and one TV crew inside the palace - unlike Prince George's birth when an army of cameramen camped outside St. Mary's Hospital for three weeks.

Millions of people around the world watched live coverage of the duke and duchess, both aged 31, leave the hospital with their sleeping son, the only public sighting of George to date.

His birth on July 22, along with a run of sporting success for Britain during an unusually good summer, was credited with boosting consumer spending in July and bolstering the popularity of Britain's royal family at home and abroad.

William and his party-loving brother Harry have been at the forefront of the modernization of the monarchy whose popularity suffered after the 1997 death of their mother Princess Diana.

British media have speculated on the guest list and whether Prince George will wear a replica of the gown used by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841 and worn by many royals since.

Bookmaker William Hill expected Prince William and Kate to opt for friends as the godparents for their first child and skip the royal tradition of choosing family or other royals.

Shopkeepers said the christening was unlikely to boost sales since little was available in terms of baby memorabilia.

"There's always demand for anything royal but licensing rules mean we're very limited in what we can provide," said Younes Nokra of the Crest of London store in Leicester Square.

Despite the christening being held behind locked gates, royal fans were still planning to descend on St. James' Palace to soak up the atmosphere and look out for Prince George.

"He will have a lovely christening dress on and I want to see him with his eyes open," Margaret Tyler, a royal enthusiast and memorabilia collector, told Reuters.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com