Episcopal clergy in
Washington, D.C. have
been given the green light
to preside at same-sex
marriages. Bishop
John Bryson Chane of the Diocese of
Washington made the announcement
Thursday, a day after gay and lesbian
couples began applying for
marriage licenses.
"Through the grace of
Holy Baptism, there are no second class
members of the Body of Christ, "
Chane said in a statement. "We are of
equal value in the eyes of God,
and any one of us may
be called by the Holy Spirit
into holy relationships
as well as Holy
Orders."
The Episcopal Church
approved a resolution last summer allowing
"bishops, particularly those
in dioceses within civil jurisdictions
where same-gender marriage, civil
unions or domestic partnerships are
legal" to
"provide generous pastoral response to
meet the needs of members of this
church."
Chane has cited the
familiar Scripture passage on loving your
neighbor as yourself as one of
the reasons he felt
"compelled" to offer the
sacraments of the church to gay and lesbian
couples.
The Religious Freedom
and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act
of 2009 was passed by the
Washington D.C. City Council in December
and signed by Mayor Adrian M.
Fenty. Congress did not
intervene to
prevent the bill from becoming law on
Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court
also refused to
intervene.
A group of ministers,
including Bishop Harry Jackson, are pushing
for a ballot initiative to
try to overturn the act.
