The Church of Sweden found itself conflicted yesterday. Religious leaders gathered to discuss whether or not to support a parliamentary bill neutering marriage. That is, making the legal language gender neutral to allow same-sex marriage. Had the Church of Sweden rejected the move, they would be forced to stop legally-sanctioned marriages all together.
Rather than give up those blessings, officials voted 161-74 to back the gay-inclusive laws. Whether that support will stick, however, remains to be seen. Despite the split, Archbishop Anders Wejryd seems optimistic, telling The Local:
I think the type of discussion we have had contributes to our cohesiveness. It has been an honest discussion that shows our great willingness to live together within the church. So it doesn’t worry me.
I am not of the opinion that everybody in the church should agree with each other. We have to be mature enough to live with a variety of opinions.
If only all Christian denominations were so understanding of difference. And, yes, we’re talking to you, Anglicans.
Rt. Rev. Dr. RES
Yes, Anglicans are accepting the blackmail of the Archbishop Primate of Nigeria, with the largest Anglican demographic in the world. Interestingly, the majority of Nigerians are Muslim.
But in balance beyond my brother in Christ, +Gene, there are many African bishops who support our cause. +Desmond Tutu, retired Archbishop Primate of South Africa is one who stood for civil marriage won there.
There are several liberal and retired gay bishops (yes there are several who are open when retired) who have outed themselves. In discussing the ACC/ECUSA communions, you must see the pockets of support are larger than the ultraconservatives who often were hypocrites when it discussed women bishops and priests. Many Anglo-Catholic bishops remained in communion despite that implosive question. In Canada, the Bishop of New Westminster, BC is a positive ally.
Now Sweden. Interesting high church Lutheran body.
Apostolic Succession from both the Old Catholics in the Netherlands (the “Dutch Touch”) and the Church of England.
As you probably know, the Swedish Royal Family is bourgeois. Napoleon Bonaparte placed Marshall Bernadotte, a fellow Corsican, as crown prince of Sweden and his former mistress, Mmme. B., as crown princess. The king had no heirs, and he adopted the marshall. Their son, Oscar, is the guy on those wonderful sardines in a tin.
The Roman Catholic Bernadottes had to accept the state religion, Lutheranism. To make it more palatable, they sought Succession and episcopacy to the mix. Lutheran nuns began at that time.
In Canada, the United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, is totally supportive of civil and religious marriage.