Category Archives: Same-sex blessings

Diocese of Montreal: whatever you do, don’t repeat the marriage vows

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The Diocese of Montreal has a “Protocol for Use” of the rite for the blessing of Civil Marriage. All of which is a euphemism for blessing same-sex unions. You can read the “Protocols” on page 2 here:

‘The marriage vows should not be repeated’
There is an intimate relationship between the vows of marriage and prayers of blessing which may follow them, even when there is a considerable interval of time between the two events.

Nothing that is done in the blessing of a civil marriage should reflect negatively on the original exchange of vows. The blessing of a civil marriage is not a second marriage. The marriage vows should not be repeated.

It is pretty clear that the intent is to ratify in a Christian – or at least Anglican – setting the sexual union of same-sex partners. That liberals in the Anglican Church would like to actually marry same-sex couples is beyond doubt. They must think the timing is not quite right: that the average Montreal Anglican is not quite “ready”; that to do so would finally push parishioners over the edge; that conservatives haven’t quite all left yet. Thus, for the moment,  we have “Protocols of Use”.

So whatever you do, don’t repeat the marriage vows. I did once, but I think I got away with it; yes, this is a farce.

Anglican Church of Canada’s Sexuality Discernment Statement now available in French

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Just what we’ve all been waiting for:

Sexuality discernment statement released in French.
General Synod’s statement on sexuality discernment is now available in French. At the General Synod 2010 meeting, members met several times in small groups to discuss human sexuality. This statement is a report from these conversations and acknowledges the differing viewpoints on human sexuality within the church as well as members’ desire to stay in conversation.

This translation will mainly be of interest to Anglicans in the Diocese of Quebec – well, and Montreal, although Montreal is largely bilingual. The average age of a Diocese of Quebec Anglican is 75 and, as you can imagine, they’ve all been champing at the bit to talk about gay sex: now they can really get down to what interests them before shuffling off this mortal coil:

The Diocese of Quebec is all but dead, its bishop told the Canadian House of Bishop at their fall meeting in Niagara Falls, the Anglican Journal of Canada reports.

The Rt. Rev. Dennis Drainville said his diocese was “teetering on the verge of extinction” according to an account given by the church’s official newspaper.

Of the diocese’s 82 congregations, 50 were childless and 35 congregations had an average age of 75. These graying congregations often had no more than 10 people in church on Sundays, he said. “The critical mass isn’t there, there’s no money anymore,” he said.