By Daniel Palmer and Kyle Wells/B次元官网网址 staff

VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Christ Church Cathedral can now hold same-sex blessings.

The congregation voted overwhelmingly last week to allow same-sex blessings in the church, more than a decade after Vancouver-area Anglican churches did the same.

B次元官网网址淭he Anglican church has been talking about this for more than 30 years,B次元官网网址� Rev. Logan McMenamie says. B次元官网网址淚n some ways itB次元官网网址檚 disabled us, but itB次元官网网址檚 an important decision. ItB次元官网网址檚 really a justice issue.B次元官网网址�

The 148 to 14 vote in favour of the blessings means gay couples can now hold such ceremonies inside Christ Church Cathedral, although McMenamie still cannot conduct the legal portion of same-sex ceremonies.

B次元官网网址淭he vote was a formal recognition that we are welcome and we are equal,B次元官网网址� says parish member Kit Pearson who, with her partner Katherine Farris, has attended the church for five years.

B次元官网网址淥f course, itB次元官网网址檚 not absolutely equal because we canB次元官网网址檛 get married. B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 just a step along the way.B次元官网网址�

Pearson, 66, says she and Farris have never experienced prejudice under the cathedralB次元官网网址檚 roof.

They have chosen to remain a part of the Anglican church despite its delayed embrace of homosexual equality.

B次元官网网址淚 think a church, like any other institution, is run by humans, and humans have many faults,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淵ou could be married in the hall by a justice of the peace, then go into the church and have your marriage blessed, which is a little ridiculous.B次元官网网址�

At St. Mary of the Incarnation in Metchosin, like all Anglican churches, the congregation will decide whether to perform  blessings of same-sex relationships.

Rev. Rob Hutchison said discussion has started at the parish level but itB次元官网网址檚 not yet known what direction the church will take.

In HutchisonB次元官网网址檚 opinion, if more people will find comfort in the church, itB次元官网网址檚 a positive move.

B次元官网网址淭he church needs to be relevant,B次元官网网址� Hutchison said. B次元官网网址淚f this helps people come to terms with who they are and how the church can fit into their lives, then I think itB次元官网网址檚 a good thing.B次元官网网址�

As someone who refused to perform heterosexual marriages for three years in protest of not being allowed to offer a similar service to same-sex couples, Rev. Canon Ken Gray welcomes the change. His Church of the Advent in Colwood agreed at an annual meeting of parishioners on Feb. 10 to allow the blessings.

The congregation voted 59 in favour and six opposed.

B次元官网网址淚n my view that represents fairly the mood and understanding of the parish,B次元官网网址� Gray said. B次元官网网址淚 have for a long time advocated that we offer this ministry and IB次元官网网址檓 glad weB次元官网网址檙e now at a point where we can do so.B次元官网网址�

As per the rules of the national church organization, the couples must already be civilly married and at least one person must be baptized.

Diocese could bow out of marriage

The outgoing bishop of the Anglican Diocese of B.C. hopes allowing same-gender blessings will become the norm for all couples in the church.

Bishop James Cowan supports ending a centuries-long tradition of civil marriages in the Anglican church and hopes its national governing body embraces the B次元官网网址淓uropean modelB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� performing only religious consecration ceremonies.

B次元官网网址淚f marriage is something that the state wants to keep an eye on, then let state officers do it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hy should the clergy be instruments of the state, and (do it) for free?B次元官网网址�

Currently, Anglican parishes in B.C. can conduct both civil and religious blessing ceremonies for heterosexual couples, while local parish members can choose to allow same-sex blessings.

Rev. Canon Ken Gray of ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 Church of the Advent, thinks the idea of the church refraining from performing marriages altogether is a good one. Under this proposed model a couple of any makeup would get married civilly and then seek the blessing of the church.

B次元官网网址淚 think that clarifies a whole bunch of awkward situations that clergy, including myself, have faced over the years,B次元官网网址� Gray said.

The possibility of ending church-administered marriage was broached in 2010 at the Anglican Church of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 national conference, or general synod, Cowan said. Clergy and canon lawyers werenB次元官网网址檛 able to agree to the definition of B次元官网网址淓uropean modelB次元官网网址�.

Anglican church leaders on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands seem split in their opinion, Cowan said, but he remains hopeful.

B次元官网网址淚 was actually surprised with the (positive) response,B次元官网网址� he said.

The next Anglican general synod takes place in Ottawa, July 3 to 7.