Justin Welby has been accused of “failing Christ” after expressing his support for same-sex relationships.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking on Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart’s podcast, Leading, said he believed that “all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship… whether it’s straight or gay” – rather than in marriages or civil partnerships.
His remarks prompted fury from evangelical Christians, who said the Archbishop had “failed the Church, he has failed the Church of England, he has failed the worldwide Anglican Communion, and he has failed Christ”.
Evangelicals say Welby’s comments contradict the Church teachings that “holy matrimony is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman” and that it is “within marriage that sexual intimacy finds its proper place”.
The Archbishop of Canterbury was speaking on Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart’s podcast, Leading
LEADING
The Archbishop also acknowledged how the Church remains “deeply split” on the topic – but evangelicals have rebuffed his suggestion that a “majority of bishops” agreed with him.
In the wake of the podcast appearance, Lambeth Palace was forced to issue a statement saying his comments “[do] not indicate a changing of teaching from the House of Bishops” but rather “a personal view” which had evolved over the years.
A spokesman insisted that the Archbishop was “giving a personal view that reflects the position now held by himself, the Archbishop of York and many other bishops regarding sexual intimacy”.
Welby had told Campbell and Stewart of his plans to bless same-sex couples – known as Prayers of Love and Faith – which received the support of bishops last year.
MORE ON THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY:
Lambeth Palace has distanced itself from the Archbishop’s comments
LEADING
He said: “We’ve put forward a proposal that where people have been through a civil partnership or same-sex marriage, equal marriage under the 2014 Act, they should be able to come along to their local – to a church – and have a service of prayer and blessing for them in their lives together. So we accept that.”
While clergy can opt in to perform these prayers, the Archbishop has said he would not – “out of responsibility for the Anglican Communion where, in many parts of the world, it is absolutely unacceptable”.
The Archbishop has also faced resignation calls over his suggestion that sex didn’t only belong in marriages or same-sex relationships -which has been labelled “misleading” and “demonstrably false” by Anglican critics.
Tim Dieppe, head of public policy at Christian Concern, said that Welby had “failed the Church, he has failed the CofE, he has failed the worldwide Anglican Communion, and he has failed Christ”.
Welby has been accused of “failing the Church” over his remarks
PA
Meanwhile Rev Dr Andrew Goddard, assistant minister at St James the Less, said that “unless this is yet another case of the bishops deciding something but keeping it secret”, the Archbishop was “quite simply wrong and misleading… about what the bishops he leads have decided and publicly said and done”.
Lambeth Palace’s statement after Welby’s comments read: “Archbishop Justin stressed his absolute commitment to those who hold a traditional view having ‘a full and undoubted place in the Church of England’.
“He has been honest that his thinking has evolved over the years through much prayer and theological reflection – particularly through the Living in Love and Faith process – and he now holds this view sincerely.
“It reflects his commitment to continuing to welcome, love and include LGBTQ+ people more fully in the life of the Church. However, there is no consensus among the bishops on this question, and the Church remains deeply divided.”