THE world's foremost Anglican has said he will sanction the Scottish Episcopal Church over its stance on allowing same-sex marriage after revealing "anger" in the Communion.

Anglican bishops punish Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage

The Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev Just Welby, pictured below, said a ban on Scottish Anglicans taking part in some votes and holding certain offices “will be followed through” after a meeting during which primates were both disappointed and angry.

Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev Justin Welby

Confirming that the “consequences” that were applied to the US-based Episcopal Church which also support same-sex marriage now also applied to the Scottish Episcopal Church, he said: “It is left in my hands to follow that through and it will be followed through as I did after the primates’ meeting of 2016.”

Couple marry in first same-sex Anglican wedding in a UK church

That involves being excluded from debate on doctrine and from chairing Anglican Communion committees.

Archbishop Welby said that no vote was taken against the Scottish Anglicans by the primates, but there was a “consensus”.

Describing the discussions, Archbishop Welby said: “We talked about things this afternoon of huge importance. People were disappointed. They were angry.

Above: Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott were one of the first couples to get married after the law on same sex weddings came into effect on December 31, 2014. Nicola Sturgeon and Green MSP Patrick Harvie were witnesses at the wedding.

"But it was a very different mood to many previous primates’ meetings.

"It was more of a family that is having to face the fact that something has happened that is causing grief than a club that doesn’t like one of its members.

“We were quite clear - people were very clear about how disappointed they were. But I think the mood in the room – and how I will feel – is just grieved that one has to do things that no one likes - that I don’t like - doing.

Anglican bishops punish Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage

"You want people to be united, joyful, celebrating together.”

Canterbury Cathedral

He was speaking after a meeting of primates from nearly 39 of the world's Anglican provinces of the Anglican Communion, which has 85m members in 165 countries, at Canterbury Cathedral, above, its Mother Church.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Episcopal Church said that its Primus the Most Rev Bishop Mark Strange, pictured below, told the primates that the decision by his Church’s Synod recognised that “there are different understandings of marriage and that no member of clergy is compelled to conduct any marriage against their conscience.

She added: "Only those clergy who wish to solemnise marriages of same gender couples will be nominated to the civil authorities for authorisation to do so.”

Primus Most Rev Mark Strange

Bishop Strange said: “In June the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to change its canon on marriage. This decision was ours to take as a self-governing province of the Anglican Communion.

“However, I recognise that this decision is one that has caused some hurt and anger in parts of the Anglican Communion and that the decision taken at the last primates’ meeting, which was to exclude our brothers and sisters in the [US-based] Episcopal Church from debate on doctrine and from chairing Anglican Communion committees, is a decision that now also pertains to us.

Anglican bishops punish Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage

“We will continue to play our part in the Anglican Communion we helped to establish, and I will do all I can to rebuild relationships, but that will be done from the position our Church has now reached in accordance with its synodical processes and in the belief that love means love.”

The first same-sex church Anglican wedding in the UK took place in Edinburgh some weeks ago when Peter Matthews and Alistair Dinnie were married at St John's Church, run by the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Couple marry in first same-sex Anglican wedding in a UK church

Three primates – Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje of Rwanda, and Archbishop Stanley Ntagali of Uganda – said they weren't attending the meeting because of developments in the US-based Episcopal Church and the Scottish Episcopal Church.