Washington National Cathedral to begin hosting same sex weddings

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
1/9/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Tourist landmark's decision seen as symbolically powerful gesture

The seat of the Episcopal Church, Washington National Cathedral is one of the world's largest cathedrals. The stately Gothic structure is visited by a half-million tourists annually. The fact that the cathedral will shortly begin hosting same sex weddings there comes as no surprise - the Episcopal Church has long campaigned for gay rights. However, the policy is seen as being symbolically powerful.

The seat of the Episcopal Church, Washington National Cathedral is one of the world's largest cathedrals. The stately Gothic structure is visited by a half-million tourists annually.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Couples affiliated with the life of the Cathedral are eligible to be married there.

The Episcopal Church is a small but highly prominent part of American Christianity The church has long been supportive of equality for gay men and lesbians. "It's something for us to say we are going to do this in this very visible space where we pray for the president and where we bury leaders," the Reverend Gary Hall, who became dean of Washington National Cathedral, says. "This national spiritual space is now a place where [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people can come and get married."

The vast majority of houses of worship don't host blessings or weddings for people of the same gender.

The Episcopal Church, with two million members, has been something of an exception. Dozens of parishes have broken with the denomination over the issue.

The Washington diocese, which includes the District and the Maryland suburbs, has more than 80 parishes, most of which host same-sex blessings. Longtime observers estimated that more than half of parishes across the denomination host the blessings. Episcopal clergy in Washington have been overseeing blessings for commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples since about the 1980s.

In addition, the church has approved a rite for same-sex blessings. Previously, clergy adapted the rite used for heterosexual couples.

The "heterosexual marriage [ritual] still has some vestiges of patriarchy, with woman being property. There's hope in same-sex marriage that it is a teachable moment for heterosexual couples. The new rite is grounded in baptism and radical equality of all people before God," Hall says.

"I'd like to use it for heterosexual weddings because I think it's so much better than our marriage services."

David Masci, a senior researcher at the Pew Forum who has focused on the issue of same-sex marriage and religion, notes that the larger U.S. faith communities, such as the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and most of the nondenominational Christian world - "aren't even considering these sorts of things."

Masci notes that younger evangelicals generally seem more open on the topic of homosexuality than middle-aged or older ones.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Episcopal Church, Washington National Cathedral, same sex marriages, mainline denominations

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

KarlVDH
4 months ago
We're talking about a "cathedral" that has- and I mean this quite literally- a sculpture of Darth Vader in its architecture. I am dead serious... they added Darth Vader's helmet to the external architecture of the National Cathedral. Having deemed THAT appropriate for what's supposed to be a house of God, the fact that they take an "anything goes" approach to faith really isn't all that shocking.
DLL
5 months ago
Since I have become a Catholic Christian,I now know that to truly call oneself a Protestant Christian,is to reject Orthodox Christianity completely to re create the Christian perspective so that it is readjusted current,to the currently approved of mindset. It is in other-wards the nice guy approach to faith that has really no basis in faith at all. I used to support the Congregational and Episcopal Churches as I was once Protestant. They-were once really good orthodox churches? Today I would be in sin to do so now as sin can never become church policy or a reinvented doctrine of the Christian Church. The Christian Church will always be laughed at as long as there is Protestants as distinguished as different in orthodoxy from Catholics. To say Christian is Christian is wrong today. The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only true Church of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the proper understanding of what the Christian should believe as universal Christian doctrine. Same sex marriage? There is no such thing as it is a fabricated politically agenda invented correct term,to justify a detrimental unhealthy and an actually selfish lifestyle. It is the result of sex becoming the golden cow of our world. The golden cow was a symbol of Hedonism that was opposed to God,Moses and the 10 commandments. A so called Christian Church that marries same sex couples is a golden cow church,one that is one gone wrong,it is not Christian church anymore. The Protestant church is kind of Christian and It has a lot of nice old time rhyme,country gospel tunes,makes you want to stamp your feet and sing along,but now it has lost the meat of the Christian message. Gay marriage can never be Holy marriage,at best like many marriages these days,it is common,perverted,politically correct,sense of a legal marriage. The Christian churches can never marry same sex couples as that is completely un Christian.
vance
5 months ago
In the Holy Bible God calls homosexual acts an abomination and a rebellion against him. The National Cathedral's call to marry homosexuals is a slap in the face to God and our nation. Of course our anti-Catholic, anti-Christian-in-chief is pushing this.
Greg
5 months ago
To all gay friends (homosexuals living without restraint) - please take your clothes off, stand in front of the mirror, and say it aloud - I have been born that way!
And then start living the way you have been born. Do not allow other people making mush out of your brains. Life is not about finding a person who is going to manipulate your organs the best way. Life is about changing in order to love others more, and more. Christ became a man, so you can become like Christ. You cannot offer an empty sexual act, and void 'whatever one can call it' agreement to Christ. Christ does not want it from you. He wants your hearts. You are going to die, and these bodies you are focusing now on will be eaten by worms. You will be judged only by how much you loved - by love Christ loved us, and not an animal like thrills of the flesh. You look for the greatest feeling, and that is okay. You look in the dead place. You will find it infinitely more with Christ. Please stop living nonsense, something that is empty, fruitless, and an outright a lie. A lie is something that does not exist, and is dead-ended. You do not have to be there. Seek the Truth! I beg you!
Robert Burford
5 months ago
"I'm all for letting gay people alone" However, there are unions and relationships that are real in our society that cannot result in "Holy Matrimony" . Some things are just wrong and it has nothing to do with life style.Leviticus 28 and Romans 1 are very clear. I did not make this up it is God's words not mine. Same sex might be a union but it is not a marriage. You can change the law but not right and wrong.
abey
5 months ago
With Obama its first high priest seconded by Hillary Clinton.
Chris
5 months ago
Most people will agree the lifestyle of homosexuality and bisexuality has started to become a norm of our culture. However, it's a shame that the Episcopal Church that claims most of the same beliefs as Catholics, to give "blessings and marriages to same-sex marriages". Public perception is going to start to think all Christians are ok with it now, which is clearly not the case.
David Graf
5 months ago
I'm all for letting gay people alone. They should be allowed to choose whatever lifestyle makes them comfortable. That decision is not mine to make--It's all a matter of free choice; we all have that God-given right. However, since that lifestyle is condemned in the Bible, I don't believe that ANY Christian church should be authorized to perform these marriage ceremonies. There are public locations in which such ceremonies can be performed.

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