Canadian Anglicans Getting Gay

A Canadian Anglican diocese broke rank this weekend when it voted to ease restrictions on same-sex marriage:

The Anglican diocese of Ottawa has approved blessings of same-sex marriages by a vote of 177 to 97, making it the first in Canada to support some sort of church recognition of gay marriage.

Bishop John Chapman said in a news conference yesterday after the vote that the final decision on whether to bless the marriages still rests with him, and he expects to take his time making that decision. He wants to talk to other bishops, both nationally and internationally, before going ahead with a policy.

Hopefully Chapman will stay away from England, where conservative forces are battling Archbishop Rowan Williams, who refuses to rebuke the American “restraint”.

The Canadian scenario doesn’t explicitly support universal gay marriage, but allows wiggle room for Bishops who wish to perform such blessings.