Episcopal bishops vow not to bless same-sex unions; questions remain

Published: 2007-09-27

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In a decision with implications for Catholic-Anglican relations, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church vowed not to authorize any public blessings of same-sex unions or to elect another openly gay bishop while consultations continue throughout the Anglican Communion on "the pastoral needs of gay and lesbian persons" and other matters. The pledge came in a document called "response to questions and concerns raised by our Anglican Communion partners," approved Sept. 25 at the close of the six-day House of Bishops' meeting in New Orleans. Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, welcomed the Episcopal statement from both "a Catholic moral and an ecumenical standpoint" but said it remained unclear "how effective this new instruction will be. What happens when a local bishop authorizes the blessing of same-sex unions in his or her own diocese?" he asked. "Would the national episcopal body impose sanctions on the local bishop?"

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