Archbishop Of Canterbury Regrets Canadian Anglican Homosexual Union Ceremonies

VANCOUVER, May 29, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Renegade Canadian Anglican Bishop Michael Ingham of the Diocese of New Westminster sanctioned homosexual union ceremonies to be performed in six of his parishes.  The act gave the diocese the distinction of being the first Anglican Diocese in the world to officially sanction the blessing of same-sex unions.  After his permission was granted Wednesday, one of the churches performed a homosexual union ceremony that very evening.  Rev. Margaret Marquardt presided over a ceremony for couple Michael Kalmuk and Kelly Montfort at St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage Church in east Vancouver.  The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has expressed his sadness and disquiet at the move by the diocese of New Westminster.  He stated, “As the recent Primates’ meeting made clear, the public liturgy of the Church expresses the mind of the Church on doctrinal matters and there is nothing approaching a consensus in support of same-sex unions.”“In taking this action and ignoring the considerable reservations of the Church, repeatedly expressed and most recently by the Primates, the diocese has gone significantly further than the teaching of the Church or pastoral concern can justify and I very much regret the inevitable tension and division that will result from this development”.