The Anglican Archbishop of Perth, Roger Herft, has vetoed a motion from his diocesan synod recommending recognition of same-sex marriage by more that two-thirds of its members. The motion and veto comes at a time when the parliament of the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) has passed a measure to recognize same-sex marriage which the federal government is challenging in Australia’s High Court.
The motion of the diocese appears to be designed as a political statement, because one clause said, the synod “Acknowledges that legal recognition of committed same-sex relationships may coexist with legal recognition of marriage between a man and a woman.”
“As a church, we are not ready to have marriage-like ceremonies for same-sex couples in our churches yet,” said Reverend Chris Bedding, who had sponsored the motion, “but we wanted to say that if the government has civil recognition of unions or equality, then we are comfortable with that.”
“Likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot…” Luke 17:28