In a controversial move, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) has rejected two significant proposals related to the recognition of same-sex unions. In a statement released this week, ACSA confirmed that it would not allow individual bishops to bless same-sex couples within local congregations, nor would it approve a set of prayers specifically designed to provide pastoral care for church members in civil unions.
The proposals, tabled by Right Reverend Raphael Hess, Bishop of Saldanha Bay, and seconded by Right Reverend Stephen Diseko, Dean of the Province and Bishop of Matlosane, were intended to offer a compromise for congregations seeking to extend blessings to same-sex couples. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba had urged for a middle ground, suggesting that local bishops and congregations willing to offer blessings be permitted to do so, but the proposals were met with strong opposition during the synod’s deliberations.
ACSA clarified that neither proposal would have allowed same-sex marriages under church law, as they were strictly focused on offering blessings to civil unions. “The proposals which were rejected would have only allowed blessings. One proposal specifically ruled out marriages under church law,” the church said in its statement.
This decision places ACSA at odds with recent developments in other branches of the Anglican Communion. Earlier this year, the Church of England voted to offer blessings to same-sex couples, though clergy members were given the choice of whether or not to use the prayers.
The rejection of these proposals is particularly notable in light of South Africa’s broader legal context. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the country since November 2006, and in 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa passed legislation ensuring that marriage officers could not refuse to officiate same-sex marriages. Despite this legal backdrop, ACSA’s stance highlights the ongoing tension between secular laws and religious doctrine within the country.
The issue of same-sex unions has long divided religious communities in South Africa, and the ACSA’s decision is likely to draw mixed reactions from both advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and more conservative religious factions. While the Church has maintained its opposition to same-sex marriages, the debate over blessings continues to be a point of contention, revealing the complex and evolving nature of religious attitudes toward LGBTQ+ inclusion.
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