Salzach River, Saltzburg, Austria. 2007
(Photo krb)
Once, this diocese was able to adjust to the changing community standards in regard to family formation. When I began officiating at weddings in 1990 there was already a well-established process that allowed people who had been married previously to marry in the church.
- In 1991 we adopted the use of the experimental new liturgy for a wedding service which was then incorporated into the 1995 Prayer Book. It gave an equal place to the woman and the man in the marriage relationship. It isn't perfect but it is a great improvement on the services which were previously available.
- It placed no judgement on couples who lived together before their marriage as it had in the past. It considered the matter none of its business. By the time I began officiating very few couples were not living together.
- In the mid 1990s couples were permitted to marry outside a church building under certain circumstances. At least half of the very many couples that I have married have chosen to marry outside a church building.
Our church in this diocese has served the community well in this regard by adapting to the community's needs.
In recent times a number of dioceses have moved to allow clergy to bless same sex marriages. Given the excellent record of our diocese it would have been expected that our diocese would have been at the forefront of this adaptation. In fact, it is at the forefront of the reaction of the church against allowing clergy to bless same sex marriages. Unfortunately, what our leaders don't seem to understand is that the community sees this stand as a deliberate stand against inclusion which makes a mockery of the Gospel of unconditional love for all that we purport to uphold.
I do long for the day when all who come to the church to reasonably ask for the church's blessing of their marriage will be welcomed without reservation, but I doubt that that will occur in my lifetime.
Peace, justice and blessings to all.
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