We as Archbishops, alongside the bishops of the Church of England, apologise and take responsibility for releasing a statement last week which we acknowledge has jeopardised trust. We are very sorry and recognise the division and hurt this has caused.
South Africa: Christian privilege | Court takes Beloftebos discrimination case
US: HRC Releases Annual State Equality Index Ratings
HRC Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their 6th annual State Equality Index (SEI), a comprehensive report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families and assessing how well states are protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.
Council of Europe: The protection of freedom of religion or belief in the workplace
Greece: Bishop appeals his hate crime conviction
Australia: Queensland religious groups fight move to make gay conversion therapy a crime
UK: Letter to Archbishops in response to bishops’ pastoral letter on civil partnerships
Church of England: Civil Partnerships – for same sex and opposite sex couples. A pastoral statement
In the light of this understanding the Church of England teaches that “sexual intercourse, as an expression of faithful intimacy, properly belongs within marriage exclusively" (Marriage: a teaching document of the House of Bishops, 1999). Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings.
US: Supreme Court will review religious health care exemptions
In a move that LGBT legal activists see as “deeply worrisome,” the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday (January 17) said it will review two appeals in which the Trump administration is seeking to make it much easier for employers to exclude health insurance coverage for some medical procedures by saying such procedures violate their religious beliefs or moral conscience.