Presiding Bishop Michael Curry received a letter from clergy in the Church of Ireland, affirming their support for the Episcopal Church, and a notification that they’d disassociated themselves from the statement the Primates issued.

To Most Rev. Michael Curry

Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church Most Reverend Sir,

We the undersigned serving and retired clergy of the Church of Ireland greet you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 1. We dissociate from the decision of the Primates’ Meeting in respect of TEC.

2. We thank you for your exemplary witness in word and behaviour in the face of the announcement of that decision.

3. We are grateful for the witness of TEC in its worship and commitment to equality amongst all the People of God.

4. We commit ourselves to pray daily for TEC , its bishops, clergy and people, until the decision of the Primates’ Meeting is rescinded.

There is a large faction in the Church of Ireland that is in favor of extending marriage rites for same-sex couples, a right which the electorate in the Republic of Ireland affirmed in a majority vote which caused even Catholic church leaders to question their own credibility. Church of Ireland Bishop Paul Colton, of Cork, issued a statement in support of full equality for LGBT people in 2014, and the Church of Ireland-based group Changing Attitude Ireland is working towards full equality as well. Following the Republic’s civil referendum on same-sex marriage, the Church of Ireland issued a pastoral letter affirming that there was still no rite for a same-sex couple, but that priests were permitted to have a civil marriage with a same-sex partner, and that individuals could determine for themselves if they should attend a marriage for a same-sex couple based on their relationship to that couple, and not Church doctrine.

At our Facebook post of this item there are Church of Ireland clergy from the Republic & Northern Ireland commenting that they signed. The letter says 55 clergy signed.

Do you think the Church of Ireland is going to create a marriage rite for same-sex couples? Do you see the sequence of events as depicting a situation where the people are leading the authorities in discernment and relationship with God?

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