Tirone writes, "(London) One of the most senior bishops in the Anglican Church in England has commissioned the writing of a liturgy for same-sex couples and cohabiting heterosexuals."

John Saxbee, Bishop of Lincoln, has instructed staff to prepare the rite.

The move is likely to anger Church conservatives still fighting the election of a gay bishop in the US and comes in the midst of attempts by the leader of the worldwide faith, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, to heal the rift.

The liturgy will stop short of� introducing a marriage service for gays but would allow those in non-marriage relationships to proclaim their unions in the church.

"When I arrived in the diocese," Saxbee told the London Times, "I saw a member of the clergy become a victim of tabloid sensationalism for being prepared to support same-sex friendships liturgically. Part of the impetus behind this initiative was to provide a way clergy could do that with diocesan support."

Individual priests have conducted same-sex union blessings in the past in England, but this is the first time that a bishop has sanctioned a rite for same-sex relationships.

Saxbee said that the new service will be "consistent with current Anglican guidelines" because it does not claim to sanctify or bless a relationship, but simply gives thanks for the union.

"Who's kidding who?" said David Banting, chairman of Reform, the largest conservative group in the Church.

"Would liturgy for this sort of relationship have come forward for friendship's sake were it not for the pressure from the gay lobby?"

In Canada in 2003 Bishop Michael Ingham, head of the Anglican diocese of New Westminster agreed to authorize clergy in some of his parishes to carry out blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

The move was attacked by conservatives around the world and feud between them and Church moderates intensified when Eugene Robinson was elected bishop of New Hampshire.

365Gay.com 2005