A093 Add provisions of 2018-B012 to canons
Resolved, the House of ________________ concurring,
That the 81st General Convention amend Canon I.19.3 to add a new subsection e thereto, to read as follows:
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I.19.3
e. Bishops exercising ecclesiastical authority, or where appropriate ecclesiastical supervision, who hold a theological position that does not embrace marriage for same sex couples, shall in the case of remarriage after divorce, invite another bishop of this Church to oversee the consent process and to receive any report of such Marriages, as provided in Canon I.19.3.c.
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I.19.3
e. Bishops exercising ecclesiastical authority, or where appropriate ecclesiastical supervision, who hold a theological position that does not embrace marriage for same sex couples, shall in the case of remarriage after divorce, invite another bishop of this Church to oversee the consent process and to receive any report of such Marriages, as provided in Canon I.19.3.c.
And be it further
Resolved, that Canon III.12.3.a be amended to add a new subsection 3 thereto, to read as follows:
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III.12.3.a
3. In dioceses where the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority (or, where applicable, ecclesiastical supervision) holds a theological position that does not embrace marriage for same-sex couples, and there is a desire to use such rites by same-sex couples in a congregation or other community of faith, the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority (or ecclesiastical supervision) shall invite, as necessary, another bishop of this Church to provide pastoral support to the couple, the Member of the Clergy involved and the congregation or other community of faith.
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III.12.3.a
3. In dioceses where the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority (or, where applicable, ecclesiastical supervision) holds a theological position that does not embrace marriage for same-sex couples, and there is a desire to use such rites by same-sex couples in a congregation or other community of faith, the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority (or ecclesiastical supervision) shall invite, as necessary, another bishop of this Church to provide pastoral support to the couple, the Member of the Clergy involved and the congregation or other community of faith.
Explanation
The compromise of General Convention Resolution 2018-B012 has simultaneously ensured that same-sex couples have access to trial-use marriage liturgies in every diocese where same-sex marriage is permitted under civil law and authorized bishops to delegate their pastoral oversight in such cases when their theological convictions require it. Because those provisions are tied to the authorization of specific liturgies for trial use, they would not automatically apply if a marriage rite suitable for use by same-sex couples were to be added to the Book of Common Prayer.
Because Article X of the Constitution of the Episcopal Church provides that the Book of Common Prayer “shall be in use in all the Dioceses of this Church,” no specific canonical changes are necessary to ensure continued access to authorized marriage rites once they are incorporated into the Book of Common Prayer. This resolution formalizes those provisions of B012 concerning the responsibilities of bishops whose theology does not embrace same-sex marriage when a congregation within their diocese intends to perform same-sex marriages. As is already the case under B012, each bishop will discern the extent to which pastoral support from another bishop is necessary to ensure both the protection of their own conscience and full access for same-sex couples to authorized marriage rites.