A schism that developed in 2018 over same-sex marriage blessings in the NZ Anglican church is being further inflamed by what is seen as meddling from Sydney’s ultra-conservative diocese. The Sydney diocese, which opposes same-sex marriage blessings, has indicated to the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand & Polynesia (ACANZP) that organised religion in New Zealand Read more
A Catholic cleric who officiated the civil union of two lesbians at a ceremony in Rome has controversially resigned from his post. On July 11, Father Emanuele Moscatelli, from the former pastor of the Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr in Sant’Oreste, presided over the wedding of two close friends identified as Beatrice, 50, and Read more
The Liberal Democrat (Lib Dem) Party, UK, deselected Robert Flello, a practising Catholic as an election candidate. Just 36 hours beforehand Flello was announced as the Lib Dem candidate for the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency. The Party concluded his values diverged for theirs. The British media report that Flello’s views on abortion and same-sex marriage are Read more
An attorney says a Catholic high school teacher fired for being in a same-sex marriage has reached a settlement in which the Indianapolis school will help the teacher with future employment options. Attorney Kathleen DeLaney announced the settlement with Cathedral High School in a news release on Tuesday. In it, the teacher thanks Cathedral for Read more
Cubans should reject the redefinition of marriage. They should find “other legal ways” to protect gay unions, Cuban archbishop Dionisio Garcia says. Garcia was responding to efforts made by Cuban dictator Raúl Castro’s daughter Mariela, who is pressing to have gay marriage legalised in Cuba. This means marriage will need to be legally redefined. Castro Read more
Restrictions on same-sex marriage have been removed and couples can marry in their home churches, United States Episcopal church bishops have decided. Until Friday’s decision, 93 US dioceses allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry in the church. Eight did not. The decision by the Episcopal church’s governing body overrides those local decisions. Same-sex couples Read more
An Australian Jesuit priest has been banned by the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart from speaking publicly about same-sex marriage in the archdiocese. The ban was announced after Fr Frank Brennan SJ defended Catholics’ right to speak according to their conscience about the issue. He had been invited to speak at a CatholicCare Tasmania conference in Read more
Vicar Jay Behan of St Stephen’s church in Shirley has resigned from the Anglican general synod and says he is looking at ways to leave the church. He disagrees with the recent decision made by the Anglican Synod to give bishops the freedom to allow the blessing of same-sex couples in their dioceses. The motion allows only for blessing Read more
Bermuda may be the first country to ban same-sex marriage – six months after legalising it. The ruling Progressive Labour Party’s bill to replace same-sex marriage with domestic partnership arrangements was passed in the House of Assembly last Friday. The Domestic Partnership Act 2017 was passed with 24 MPs supporting the bill and 10 opposing Read more
Same-sex marriage has been passed into law in Australia. The new legal definitions and requirements resulting from the law change took effect last Saturday. Weddings using the new legislation can be celebrated from 9 January 2018. A commentary about the new laws has been published. This notes: “The legal definition of marriage in the Marriage Read more