Faith of the Fathers: Same-Sex Couple to Sue Church of England for Marriage Rights | Daily News

Monday, August 05, 2013

The following excerpts are from National Catholic Register's Daily News:

Following legislation that permits same-sex “marriage” in the U.K. yet prohibits the Church of England from performing the ceremony, two men are planning to sue to be able to marry in their church.
“We are happy for gay marriage to be recognized — in that sense, it is a big step. But it is actually a small step because it is something we still cannot actually do,” Barrie Drewitt-Barlow told the Essex Chronicle Aug. 1.
“We need to convince the church that it is the right thing for our community for them to recognize as practicing Christians.”
On July 17, the U.K.’s same-sex “marriage” bill became law, meaning that, beginning next year, same-sex couples — who can already obtain civil unions — can become married in England and Wales, though not in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The legislation allows churches and other religious groups to conduct wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples at the church’s discretion, though the U.K.’s established church, the Church of England, is barred from doing so.
Drewitt-Barlow and his partner, Tony, are members of the Church of England, and they are upset that they will not be able to marry in their own church.