US bishops set for U-turn on gay 'marriages'
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 03/04/2006)

The liberal leadership of the American Anglican Church is preparing for an unexpected climb-down over homosexuality which could save the worldwide Church from schism.

Three years after consecrating Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop, the American bishops appear close to bowing to international pressure and shelving their radical agenda at a conference in June. Leaks from a private meeting of the bishops in North Carolina last week suggest that they will "repent" for plunging Anglicanism into turmoil by consecrating Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire.

They are also likely to come into line with the rest of the worldwide Church by backing an indefinite ban on the blessing of gay "marriages" and they may even apologise for having authorised them in the past. Though they appear reluctant to impose an outright bar on the future election of gay bishops, the majority seem willing to back a call for dioceses to exercise "very considerable caution" before doing so.

According to several bishops who attended last week's meeting, they would block the consecration of a second openly homosexual bishop if the diocese of California elects a lesbian or a gay man in May. Three of the seven candidates for the high-profile post have gay partners.
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