Gay rights activists protest against decision to sanction liberal US church as archbishop of Canterbury tries to soothe divisions in worldwide communion

The archbishop of Canterbury has apologised for the “hurt and pain” the Anglican church has inflicted on lesbian, gay and transgender people as he attempted to defend the decision to sanction the liberal US church for allowing same-sex marriage.

Justin Welby’s remarks came at the end of a week-long summit of the world’s Anglican leaders, in which he sought to soothe divisions caused by the decision on Thursday to uphold a “traditional doctrine” of marriage as “between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union”.

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Dozens of gay rights activists, many of them refugees from African countries, descended on Canterbury Cathedral to chant “Shame on you” in the precincts where the 38 primates of the Anglican communion had been meeting to resolve deep divisions over gay rights.

In his closing press conference, with noises from campaigners heard in the background, Welby said: “It’s a constant source of deep sadness that people are persecuted for their sexuality. I want to take this opportunity personally to say how sorry I am for the hurt and pain, in the past and present, that the church has caused and the love that we at times completely failed to show, and still do, in many parts of the world including in this country.”

The archbishop said that he had battled to keep the warring liberal North American and conservative African wings of the church together in the face of threats of a permanent schism. “I don’t agree with everyone around the communion, and they certainly don’t agree with me,” he said in an indication of the fractious debate within the church.

He repeatedly insisted that the US Episcopal church had not been punished, but was facing “consequences” after it had been subject to punitive measures, 13 years after first antagonising conservatives with the consecration of a gay bishop to the diocese of New Hampshire. “We are very careful not to use the word sanctions,” he said, pointing out that the communion had no power to impose punitive measures on its members. But, he added, “if any province is out of line, there will be consequences”.

The US Episcopal church has been banned from representation on key bodies and barred from voting on issues relating to doctrine or strategy for three years. However, it will remain a member of the Anglican communion.



Liberal Anglicans responded to the de facto sanctions and the reaffirmation of traditional biblical teaching on marriage with anger and dismay. At the other end of the spectrum, hardline conservative Anglicans said the statement was a step in the right direction but did not go far enough in forcing US liberals to repent.



Jayne Ozanne, a prominent gay rights campaigner within the Church of England, welcomed the archbishop’s public apology, saying it was significant. “But I’m sad there was no apology from the primates as a group,” she said.



The campaign for gay rights within the church was strengthening, she added. “We’re not going away. We are here; baptised members of the faith, gathering our straight friends who are choosing to stand tall with us. Momentum is building, and I believe that is Holy Spirit-inspired.”



Brian Baker, a member of the US Episcopal church and dean of Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento, said: “It is my belief that the full inclusion of LGBT people in the church is God’s will. If there is a price to pay for this, then we have to pay it.”

The measures taken against the Episcopal church would not heal the divisions within the church, he added. “It’s buying time. It’s a way of keeping [conservative] primates from leaving. But it sends a signal to the world that LGBT people are not welcome.”

Abbey Kiwanuka, originally from Uganda, said: “I am here as a gay man to send a message to the church: attack unemployment, poverty and violence, not gay Christians.” The gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who organised the protest, said those taking part were nearly all refugees who had fled persecution by their governments “which is endorsed by their churches”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Justin Welby meets gay rights campaigners protesting outside Canterbury Cathedral following the conclusion of the primates’ gathering. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Conservative Anglican leaders indicated their determination to press ahead with the campaign to force the Episcopal church to repent.



Peter Jenson, the general secretary of Gafcon, a grouping of hardline conservative Anglicans, said the primates’ move should be seen as a “warning to liberal-thinking Christians everywhere”. He welcomed the statement, saying it represented “immense disquiet about the sexual revolution in the west”.



According to Charlie Masters, a conservative bishop from Canada, there was still a real possibility that the Anglican communion could permanently split over the issue of homosexuality. “The message which comes from these sanctions is that the biblical standard must be held by all,” he said. “Unless the church comes to a common mind about whether the Bible is the basis on which we understand everything, we won’t be able to come together.

“This is serious for sure. No one can sweep it under the carpet. The possibility of a split is very real. Unity at all costs that doesn’t deal with the core issues is no unity at all.”

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A communique released on Friday at the end of the summit said that the primates condemned homophobic prejudice and violence, and rejected criminal sanctions against same-sex attracted people. Where the church had caused hurt to LGBT people, “they express their profound sorrow”, it added.



Welby acknowledged that the Anglican communion’s decision to impose punitive measures on the US church “may make us look out of date in the US and the UK, but not in many other parts of the world. There are different views in different places.” Although the US Episcopal church is the only member of the communion to permit same-sex marriages, Anglican churches in Canada and Scotland have indicated they will follow suit. Meanwhile, some African churches support the criminalisation of homosexuality.

Welby announced that he would call a Lambeth Conference, a gathering of bishops from all 38 provinces held every 10 years, for 2020. The conference which had been due in 2018 was cancelled in the face of intractable differences over homosexuality. The Anglican church claims to have 85 million followers in 165 countries. Its numbers are growing in the global south, but declining in the UK and US.