Can gays get married in the anglican church

A group representing LGBT members of the Church of Ireland has welcomed a change from the Anglican Communion to a major statement on same-sex marriage. Ahead of the global Lambeth Conference, the communion had defined marriage as "between a man and a woman".

When contacted by BBC News NI, the Church of Ireland said its bishops would "participate in the debates and discussions that take place at the conference". The Lambeth Conference takes place every 10 years and is a major gathering of more than Anglican bishops from across the world.

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At the conference a series of statements - or "calls" - are put to bishops and discussed. But a draft statement on human dignity published ahead of the conference said that "it is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same gender marriage is not permissible". The Lambeth statement was changed by the Anglican church at the last minute.

It added that "legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions" cannot be advised, and "it is the mind of the communion to uphold 'faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union'". But that led to protests from a number of Anglican congregations from around the world, including the Anglican Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church.

On Tuesday the Lambeth statement was changed by the Anglican Communion at the last minute. But CAI also said that it "deplored" that an Anglican resolution passed in that "the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions cannot be advised" had been "brought up for discussion once again" in They said that had caused "hurt and division".

The Scottish Episcopal Church - which is an Anglican church - voted to allow same-sex marriage in The Church in Wales approved a service of blessing for same-sex couples in The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a policy that anyone in a same-sex relationship cannot be a full member of the Church.

Init also voted to loosen its ties with the Church of Scotland due to its more liberal attitude to same-sex relationships. Meanwhile, the Methodist Church in Ireland also only permits marriages between a man and a womanin contrast to the Methodist Church in Britain.

Oldest Methodist church to allow same-sex marriage. Same-sex church marriage hope within five years. Image source, Getty Images. By Robbie Meredith. Image source, BrianAJackson. What do other churches think of same-sex marriage? Related topics. More on this story.