The Marriage Canon #006-06-08-05 & #044-02-08-05

Prologue: The Faith Worship and Ministry Committee asked Council for clarification of its task relating to General Synod’s request that the Council of General Synod consider a revision of Canon 21 (On Marriage) including theological rationale to allow marriage of all legally qualified persons and to report back to General Synod 2010.; It was proposed by Chancellor Ronald Stevenson and Bishop Michael Ingham

Text of motion: That the Council of General Synod; - (1) concurs in the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee’s understanding that it is to address the particular category of “legally qualified persons”, i.e. same-sex couples at least one of whom is baptized Christian,; - (2) agrees that development of a theological rationale for the marriage of such couples should precede the preparation of any draft amendments to or revision of the Marriage Canon,; - (3) requests the Committee to report to the Council of the General Synod no later than November 2009 and; - (4) directs that, if the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee develops such a rationale, it should, in conjunction with the Handbook Concerns Committee, prepare draft amendments to, or a draft revision of, the Marriage Canon for consideration by the Council of the General Synod in March 2010 for possible submission to the 2010 session of the General Synod.; APPROVED BY CONSENSUS #18-05-08

Subjects: Marriage - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Marriage (Canon law) - Anglican Church of Canada; Same sex unions - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada; Anglican Church of Canada. General Synod. Constitution. Canon XXI