The Church of England is expected to confirm tomorrow that openly gay bishops will be allowed in the church as long as they are celibate. The BBC reports:
Legal advice is due to be published as early as Monday saying homosexual clergy in civil partnerships can become bishops. The move is in response to the Equality Act, which protects from discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.
But it risks deepening divisions over gay clergy, which threaten to split the Anglican Communion worldwide. The legal advice is due to go to the General Synod next month.
Some liberals could be wary of any move which shows a difference in approach between homosexual and heterosexual people, while conservatives wish to avoid anything which is at odds with church teaching.
Canon Chris Sugden – a key critic of openly gay clergy – said if bishops were "faithful to the teaching of the Church" it was "unexceptionable".
Read the entire Equaity Act on the official Church of England website.
