Church of England 'should not change stance' on same-sex marriage, LGBT community feels disappointed

The Houses of Bishops released a report which said that the Church of England should not change its opposition to same-sex marriage but it should adopt a "fresh tone and culture of welcome and support" for gay people, reports BBC Russian Service.

It also said all potential clergy - straight and gay - will be asked about their sexual conduct and will face the same questions about their lifestyle. The Right Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said that "present arrangements for asking ordinands [priests in training] and clergy about their relationships and lifestyle are not really working very well".

He said there was "too much concentration" on whether they were in sexually active same-sex relationships rather than framing questions about sexual morality.

The House of Bishops report, which expressed "little support" for changing the Church's teaching on marriage" that it was between one man and one woman, was negatively taken by the LGBT community. An open letter of "the Christian movement of gays and lesbians" reads that the bishops simply recommend young gay-priests to hide their orientation. According to the movement leaders, the Church thus loses the opportunity to establish a trust relationship with a part of the parish.

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