The Anglican Church has for some time now been locked in debate on the issue of same-sex marriage and if it should be permitted in the Church. Recently, UK Prime Minister Theresa May weighed in on the issue.
May, who is the daughter of a Church of England vicar and identifies as a Christian and a conservative, also says she personally supports marriage equality for all; however, she also was clear that marriage equality should not mean forcing the Anglican Church to accept and perform same-sex marriages.
In a Q&A with Pink News on Thursday, May stated, “We were very clear when we introduced the equal marriage legislation that it was not about forcing the Church of England to conduct marriage ceremonies, but removing a legal injustice.”
“As the established Church, it is in a different legal position from other churches or faith groups, so the law equalizing marriage had to recognize that. I strongly support equal marriage, and I know that these debates will continue, but it will have to be for the Church as a whole to decide if it wants to make a change to its Canon law,” continued May, according to The Christian Post.
Although many in the Church of England have been lobbying for the acceptance of same-sex marriage, the Anglican Church on a broader scale is less in favor of changing official Church doctrine which states that marriage is between one man and one woman.
