Anglican bedfellows

The Church of England along with the three other Anglican churches of these isles is in full communion with the Church of Sweden, which is about to debate and probably approve a proposed rite of same-sex marriage. And there is no Anglican-English-style fudge here, over 'when is a blessing a wedding and when is it just a blessing'. This comes as the Lutheran Church in Britain prepares to consecrate this country's first woman bishop. The church said: 'The Lutheran Church in Great Britain will consecrate its first woman bishop, the Right Rev Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, on Saturday 17th January 2009, in the historic Wren church of St Anne & St Agnes on Gresham Street, in the City of London. Her predecessor, the Right Rev Walter Jagucki, will preside at the service, and bishops and other clergy from Nordic and European Lutheran churches will participate in the consecration.'

"As far as the new Lutheran rite is concerned, these are real, one-flesh-and-all-that same-sex marriages we are talking about here. The Swedish church already has two women bishops and we've remained in communion with them through that one, so I don't suppose this will make any difference. It just seems a bit unfair that The Episcopal Church should get it in the neck for Gene Robinson, and Canada for New Westminster, while another church, albeit Lutheran not Anglican, gets away with it. Poorvoo but not pour vous, it seems, if you are a gay Anglican in England or TEC." (Ruth Gledhill)