News in Brief: New 2-for-1 ceremony for common law couples

Notes: "Couples with children born out of wedlock will be able to get married and have their offspring baptized in a single ceremony, says the (Anglican) Church of England. '... patterns of relationship and marriage within society are presenting new opportunities for the church', said Bishop Stephen Platten. Bishop Platten is chairperson of an Anglican liturgical commission which drew up the liturgical guidelines following research that showed one in five couples who sought a church wedding already had children". [Text of entire article.]

Subjects: Marriage - Religious aspects - Church of England; Baptism - Church of England; Common law marriage - Great Britain; Church of England - Liturgy; Platten, Stephen (Stephen George), 1947-