Right direction

“Anglicans reject same-sex marriage” was the headline of a Canadian Press story that ran on page 2 of yesterday’s Daily Bulletin.
It was true at the time of publication. A resolution before the General Synod 2016, calling to change the church’s marriage canon, failed Monday to get the required two-thirds majority by each of the three orders: lay, clergy, and bishops—reportedly by a single vote.
But hold the phone. It was discovered on Tuesday that a vote had been counted improperly and the resolution, in fact, had passed.
The headline instead should read “Anglicans approve same-sex marriage,” although it should be noted the decision still needs to be affirmed by the next General Synod in 2019, which could make its own amendments.
As evidenced by the bitter split in the Anglican Church leading up to Monday’s vote, same-sex marriage remains a divisive topic between proponents of both sides of this controversial issue—both here in Rainy River District and right across Canada.
Even at the municipal level, there were many clerks who refused to officiate at same-sex civil unions because it went against their personal beliefs.
In the U.S., social media was abuzz this spring over the actions of some states directed against same-sex couples and the LGBTQ community in general. Here in Canada, fortunately, acceptance of same-sex couples and marriage definitely has been evolving.
Clearly there’s still a long way to go. But with the Anglican Church now moving down that path towards equality and acceptance, we are headed in the right direction.