Episcopal Church adopts same-sex liturgy, causing 'distress' for some Anglicans
The 2-million-member Episcopal Church voted overwhelmingly on July 1 to let gay and lesbian couples marry in the church’s religious ceremonies, reinforcing its support for same-sex nuptials days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.
Meeting in Salt Lake City for its 78th General Convention, the House of Deputies concurred with the House of Bishops to approve a canonical change that eliminates a written definition of marriage as between a man and a woman and authorizes two new marriage rites for same-sex or different-sex couples. Among the changes to church laws on marriage, the words husband and wife will be replaced with the couple.
Clergy can decline to perform same-sex marriages without incurring a penalty or punishment, and bishops can refuse to allow same-sex marriages in their dioceses. So same-sex Episcopal couples seeking a church wedding could find themselves having to go somewhere other than their home church or even their home diocese.
