In the year 2009, the General Synod of the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden decided to enlarge the concept of marriage to include same-sex couples. In other words, a gender neutral marriage was created. Pastors who conscienciously objected to the new order were to be allowed to refrain from marrying same-sex couples.
In spite of this, a handful of oastors elected to apply to have their licence to perform marriages revoked. The state office called Kammarkollegiet granted them this.
At the end of October, 2011, the General Synod discussed the situation at length. The decision taken (161 votes for, 77 against) was that no pastor can be allowed to give up his or her licence, since performing marriages is an integral part of the work of a parish pastor. If any pastor can't perform same-sex marriages, other arrangements can be made.
The licence to perform marriages is not owned by the pastor, proponents said. It is the Church that applies for it from the State on its pastors' behalf. If you want to be a pastor, you can't just pick and choose.
Det är inte prästen som äger vigselrätten (Marta Axner 25.10.11)
Vigselbehörighet för alla präster (Kyrkans Tidning 28.10.11)
Backlash för Frimodig Kyrka (Karin Långström Vinge 31.10.11)
Alla präster ska ha vigselbehörighet (Dagen 1.11.11)
In spite of this, a handful of oastors elected to apply to have their licence to perform marriages revoked. The state office called Kammarkollegiet granted them this.
At the end of October, 2011, the General Synod discussed the situation at length. The decision taken (161 votes for, 77 against) was that no pastor can be allowed to give up his or her licence, since performing marriages is an integral part of the work of a parish pastor. If any pastor can't perform same-sex marriages, other arrangements can be made.
The licence to perform marriages is not owned by the pastor, proponents said. It is the Church that applies for it from the State on its pastors' behalf. If you want to be a pastor, you can't just pick and choose.
Det är inte prästen som äger vigselrätten (Marta Axner 25.10.11)
Vigselbehörighet för alla präster (Kyrkans Tidning 28.10.11)
Backlash för Frimodig Kyrka (Karin Långström Vinge 31.10.11)
Alla präster ska ha vigselbehörighet (Dagen 1.11.11)
4 kommentarer:
Hmmm ... "the State" sounds Orwelian and I wonder who owns the licence to proclaim that our sins are forgiven ... ?
"Orwellian"...? Aren't you going out on a tangent now, Edward?
There is a sharp difference between marriage, a societal phenomenon, and the forgiveness of sins, a divine one. Even if the societal phenomenon of marriage sometimes is administered by the Church.
Incredible. So now all the christian priests left in the swedish church are forced to go against God.
If by "go against God", you mean perform same-sex weddings, then no. No-one is is forced to do that against their conscience, as you can see if you read my text carefully. But they can't get out of performing opposite-sex weddings quite so easily.
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