The Church of Wales approved a bill on Wednesday (April 15) to make blessing same-sex marriages a permanent part of its services after overwhelming support.This means same-sex couples can continue to have their marriages or civil partnerships blessed in church. The wording used for these ceremonies will now be formally incorporated into the Book of Common Prayer, providing guidance on how services should be conducted.The decision was made by the church’s 143-member governing body. The proposal requires a two-thirds majority of three groups: bishops, clergy and laity to pass. Lay members voted 48 to 8 in favor, with 2 abstentions. Clergy supported the bill by a vote of 32 to 7, with 5 abstentions. The bishops approved the measure without objection.The blessing ceremony was first introduced as a temporary measure in 2021, and the trial period will last until the end of 2026. Church officials said the decision to make it permanent came after several years of discussions and feedback from across the church.Even with the changes, individual pastors can still opt out if they don’t want to conduct such blessings.Supporters said the decision was an effort to make the church more inclusive. Bishop Gregory Cameron of St. Asaph spoke of the harm done when LGBT people feel rejected. He shared the example of a young man who had avoided talking to his parents for years because he feared how they would react to his sexual orientation. “Can’t we be a church that causes so much pain?” he said.The Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Stallard, also supported the move. She said one person close to her was deeply troubled by attitudes towards sex within the church, describing it as a “culture of shame”. She added that allowing blessings in 2021 is “a wonderful and beautiful thing.”However, not everyone agrees with the change. Some members warned this could lead to division. Deacon Andy Grimwood said he was concerned the decision would not bring unity and could lead to people leaving the church.The Rev. Melanie Prince said she had spoken to members of the Anglican Church in Nigeria who urged the church not to stray from traditional teachings. Another member, Julia Schulz, said the blessing looked very similar to a wedding and raised concerns about staying true to long-standing beliefs.The move also highlights the differences between the Church of Wales and the Church of England, which currently does not offer such blessings. Some believe this could be a sign that further changes may be coming.The decision comes after Cherry Vann becomes Archbishop of Wales in July 2025, the first woman and first openly LGBT+ person to hold the position. She has said she wants the church to better reflect the diversity of modern society.
