D052 Amend Canon I.18.7
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That Canon I.18.7 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 7. It shall be within the discretion of any Member of the Clergy of this Church to solemnize or bless any marriage or to decline to solemnize or bless any marriage in accordance with the Canons of this Church.
Explanation
This amendment provides a firm canonical basis for clergy to act sacramentally according to conscience in solemnizing or blessing a marriage that is legal, allowable by canon, and undertaken according to forms authorized by this church. The phrase “in accordance with the Canons of this Church” reinforces Canon I.19 that a Diocesan Bishop has an essential role in approving a remarriage after divorce; it also reinforces the prerequisites for marriage set forth elsewhere in Canon I.18; it also calls to mind Canon I.17.5 in regard to those seeking marriage, reading in part, “no one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities or age”.