Anglicans seek compromise over same-sex blessings.

ST. CATHARINES, ONT. -- The Anglican Church's General Synod has deferred for three years a decision about whether blessing same-sex unions is doctrine. A motion to allow such blessings will be discussed at the next synod in 2007.

The move pleased conservatives in Canada and around the world. The following day, however, the synod voted to "affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships." The second vote stunned traditionalists. In a statement afterwards, nine of the 37 Canadian bishops at the synod expressed their "regret" and "sorrow."

"By summarily expressing the opinion that it affirms the 'sanctity' of committed adult same-sex relationships," the bishops said, the synod appeared to pre-empt the work of the diocesan and provincial synods over the next three years.

National archbishops of the global south quickly issued a statement calling for the Canadian church to be "expelled" from the worldwide Communion of nearly 70 million Anglicans. Speaking on behalf of 22 primates, Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone (South America), said: "This is going against Christian teaching, and they should repent."

But the retiring Archbishop of Toronto, Most Rev. Terence Finlay, said Anglicans needed to "honour the context of different provinces and dioceses." He said Toronto "has a significant community of gays and lesbians who are long-time members who are living long-term, loving and faithful fives together." Not to be able to acknowledge their relationships would be "very, very sad."

The newly elected Primate of Canada, Most Rev. Andrew Hutchison, said the vote to defer deciding who has jurisdiction over blessing same-sex unions leaves the door open for dioceses to go ahead with such blessings in the meantime.

Bishop Michael Ingham of New Westminster, whose Vancouver diocese has already approved such blessings, reinforced this interpretation. "They've not prevented any diocese from considering the matter as they wish to do at a local level," he said. "There is already a decision in the Toronto diocese to hold a synod [on same-sex blessings] this fall."

Rt. Rev. Colin Johnson, newly elected Bishop of Toronto, said the diocese is committed to dialogue both before and after that synod. He supported the decision to affirm the sanctity of certain homosexual relationships. The message is that "not all gay relationships are necessarily disordered," he said, and that "at least some gay relationships can be within the realm of revealing God's presence."