The Right Rev David Walker, The Bishop of Manchester has issued a warning to the Church of England synod ahead of a report being delivering today on same sex marriages.
The controversial report from the House of Bishops said there is “little support for changing the Church of England’s teaching on marriage” that it is between one man and one woman and calls for the church to adopt a “fresh tone and culture of welcome and support” for gay people but not allow the blessings of same-sex relationships.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, The Right Reverend David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester, warned changes to the church’s authorised blessings are highly unlikely.
He said: “We know those numbers are just not there at the moment to change the law. We have a liturgy for marriage, we can’t change that without the majorities that would be required.”
However, The Right Reverend added: “What we have said is that we are committed to maximum freedom and I and many of the other bishops are very keen to explore the full extent of what that means. If we don’t change the law but everything else is up for grabs, everything else is up for conversation.
“There is an awful lot we can do which doesn’t actually require a change in the law and that is what I want to explore.
