Same Sex Marriage (Church of England) Bill

Key Points

• Enables Church of England clergy to conduct same-sex marriages on church premises in defined circumstances.
• Changes would apply within church law and are not a blanket alteration of civil or church-wide rules.
• Decisions would be made through diocesan and parish processes, not mandated for every priest.
• Includes related provisions to implement the change within ecclesiastical governance (the ‘connected purposes’).
• Aims to balance equality of marriage options with doctrinal, pastoral and governance considerations within the Church of England.

Progress

The bill has reached the first reading in the House of Commons and has not yet moved to further stages.