The Church in Wales has voted to allow gay couples to have their civil marriages and unions blessed by a priest.
Members of its governing body voted overwhelmingly in favour of the motion on 6 September, meaning church law will allow a “service of blessing following a civil partnership or marriage between two people of the same sex”.
The changes were approved by a vote of 40 to 10 among lay members, 28 to 12 among priests and 4-0 among bishops.
Despite this, gay couples will still not be able to marry in church, with some LGBTQ+ campaigners describing the move as a “halfway house” in the fight for marriage equality.
Clergy members who do not agree will still have the option to refuse giving a blessing if they do not agree with gay marriage.
According to the Church in Wales, this is “a step on the way towards repentance of a history in the church which has demonised and persecuted gay and lesbian people, forcing them into fear, dishonesty and sometimes even hypocrisy, and which has precluded them from living publicly and honestly lives of committed partnership”.
The move makes the Church of England the only Anglican church in Britain to neither conduct nor bless same-sex unions.
The Scottish Epsicopal Church voted in favour of performing same-sex marriages four years ago.
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