Lesbian priest couple among first same-sex partnerships to be blessed in the Church of England

A lesbian priest couple – Catherine Bond and Jane Pearce – were among the first same-sex partnerships to be blessed in the Church of England on Sunday, December 17.

Catherine and Jane held hands as they were blessed at St John the Baptist church in Felixstowe, Suffolk in a service which followed the General Synod voting in favour of offering blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, previously said he “joyfully” welcomed the blessings proposals but added that he will not personally carry them out due to his “pastoral responsibility for the whole communion”.

Reverend Nigel Pietroni, chair of the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England, said it is a “small step” but welcomed it as progress nonetheless.

He said: “Until this moment same-sex couples have not officially been able to be prayed with, though they have undoubtedly been prayed for, but they’ve never been officially recognised.

“So this really is a moment for the first time that same-sex couples will be able to be prayed for legitimately within a church setting – and that is quite a moment.”

He added that he and his husband will not avail of the prayers because he said he feels his marriage is already blessed, adding that they are “waiting for the moment when same-sex marriages are fully welcomed by the church”.