The State we're in
The Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt Bishop of Winchester, gives a first-hand commentary from his seat in the Lords, and a hard-hitting critique as a bishop of the effect upon marriage of recent parliamentary legislation

The Civil Partnerships Act 2004 comes into effect on 5 December this year. Throughout its passage through Parliament, the government asserted that it was not legislating for ‘gay marriage;’ and the Act avoids defining anywhere the character of the relationship upon which those becoming, by their signatures alone, ‘civil partners’ will enter. But gay couples are booking the date; and meetings and websites trumpet that there will be clergy of the Church of England among them seeking the publicity that will, they hope, embarrass their bishops and establish, de facto at least, change in the Church’s teaching and discipline.

The House of Bishops is on the point of publishing (I write in mid-July) a carefully considered, orthodox Pastoral Statement on Civil Partnerships; but on 29 May a substantially inaccurate preview of a draft of this Statement appeared in the Sunday Times – and caused consternation as it was circulated around the Anglican Communion among people many of whom can have no understanding of the cultural and legislative world through which we in the UK are now living. (But many of our own people have not woken up to its character either!)

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