Tory minister Mordaunt slams Church of England over gay marriage … – Daily Mail
A senior Tory minister has blasted the Church of England over its refusal to conduct same-sex marriages.
Penny Mordaunt, who ran to become party leader and prime minister twice last year, accused religious authorities of treating LGBT people as ‘second-class citizens’.
In a letter to the Bishop of Portsmouth, written in her capacity as an MP in the city, the Commons Leader urged Dr Jonathan Frost to back reform of the rules concerning ceremonies at the General Synod in February.
Church of England ministers are legally barred from conducting same-sex marriages, and they cannot be held in church. But there are increasing calls for changes to be made.
In her letter, Ms Mordaunt, whose twin brother James is gay, told Bishop Jonathan it was important to recognise the ‘pain and trauma’ the church’s position was causing.
Penny Mordaunt, who ran to become party leader and prime minister twice last year, accused religious authorities of treating LGBT people as ‘second-class citizens’
In a letter to the Bishop of Portsmouth, written in her capacity as an MP in the city, the Commons Leader urged Dr Jonathan Frost to back reform of the rules concerning ceremonies at the General Synod in February
In her letter, Ms Mordaunt told Bishop Jonathan (left) it was important to recognise the ‘pain and trauma’ the church’s position was causing.
Church of England ministers are legally barred from conducting same-sex marriages, and they cannot be held in church. But there are increasing calls for changes to be made.
‘I know you have many things to consider in your deliberations, but I hope you will back reform, allowing parishes and clergy to conduct weddings for same-sex couples or, at a minimum, enable authorised blessings.
‘I want all my constituents and others to have the right to have their relationship solemnised in their local parish in England,’ she said.
‘It is also important to recognise the pain and trauma that this continues to cause many LGBT+ people who are left feeling that they are treated as second-class citizens within our society. As a unionist I would also value some consistency across the UK on these matters.’
While the Church of England refuses to conduct ceremonies, other Anglican churches in the UK will host same-sex marriages.
Last year James Mordaunt condemned the Government’s stance on gay and trans rights, saying that Conservative MPs were ‘complicit’ in the hatred.
He had previously been very supportive of his sister, with the pair sharing pictures and speaking of their pride in each other.
But last February Mr Mordaunt told his 45,000 Twitter followers that LGBTQI+ rights have ‘gone backwards’ under the Tories.
The 48-year-old added: ‘If you are a member of the Conservative Party, a Conservative MP, part of this homophobic transphobic Government, you are complicit.
‘It doesn’t matter what your voting record is, you are now very clearly working in a system that makes the lives of LGBTQI+ people drastically worse off… All people in my community want is to live their lives as themselves.’
James, a Virgin Atlantic steward and keen bodybuilder, singled out Tory minister Oliver Dowden for criticism following a speech he made railing against ‘woke warriors’.