Mississauga, Canada, May 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada has decided to postpone a decision on performing same-sex marriages until 2007, and to conform to a request by the Anglican Consultative Council to give up its voting rights at the international level.
After a weekend meeting, the Council of the General Synod said it has been studying the issue of same-sex marriage. It noted that eight Canadian jurisdictions have legalized same-sex marriage, but it concluded that it wasn’t prepared to make a final decision, reported CBC.
Members of the synod voted 20-12 to attend the Anglican Consultative Council's meetings next month in England as observers, rather than as full participants.
The international church leaders had condemned the Canadian stand on homosexual issues at a meeting earlier this year.
The Episcopal Church, the Anglican church in the U.S., has also agreed to withdraw its participation at the Consultative Council.