On Tuesday 12 June, the Church of England formally objected to the government’s plans to allow gay couples in England and Wales to marry saying such proposals could undermine the Church’s status.
The Church denounced the proposals because they would “alter the intrinsic nature of marriage as the union of a man and a woman, as enshrined in human institutions throughout history”.
“Several major elements of the government’s proposals have not been thought through properly and are not legally sound”, said the church in its official response to the government’s proposals.
If the British government’s proposals to legalize gay marriage become law, same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in a register office or other civil ceremony.
The Church of England, which forms part of the structure of the state and is headed by the British Queen, is legally obliged to provide any resident of a local parish with marriage service, with about 25% of weddings in England taking place in Church of England churches.
“We believe that imposing for essentially ideological reasons a new meaning on a term as familiar and fundamental as marriage would be deeply unwise”, said the Church.
ISH/JR/HE
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