New Anglican row emerges with gay blessing request
Mon 15 Oct 2007
By Randall Palmer

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Ottawa branch of the Anglican Church of Canada has thrown a challenge to the worldwide Anglican movement by asking the Ottawa bishop to authorize the blessing of homosexual marriages.

In a weekend vote, the Ottawa diocese voted 177 to 97 to ask Bishop John Chapman to allow clergy "to bless duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples, where at least one party is baptized."

If Chapman, an advocate of such blessings, approves the request, it will be a red flag to the conservative branches of the church in Africa, Latin America and Asia, and could hasten a split in the global Anglican church.

Chapman told a news conference it could take anywhere between a day to 10 years to make his decision and that he would consult Canada's bishops later this month. the rest