Church faces gay clergy row

The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, has ordered an investigation after a "gay marriage" took place between two homosexual clergy last month.

The Rev Peter Cowell and the Rev Dr David Lord exchanged rings and vows at St Bartholomew the Great in the City of London.

A statement issued by Dr Chartres said services of public blessings for civil partnerships were not authorised in the Church of England or the diocese of London. He said he would be would be asking Archdeacon of London, Peter Delaney, to investigate what had taken place.

The Reverend Martin Dudley, who led the ceremony, said he disagreed with the official guidance, adding: "I was asked by a friend and colleague to bless their civil partnership. I said 'of course I will'.

"Peter is a dear friend and I have gay friends and one respects them for who they are. It seemed perfectly reasonable. I certainly didn't do it to defy my bishop or to make a statement, I did it as a matter of pastoral care for someone for whom I have a very high regard."

The Most Rev Henry Orombi, the Archbishop of Uganda, reportedly described the ceremony as "blasphemous" and called on Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to take decisive action if the Anglican Church were not to "disintegrate".

The news of the gay "marriage" ceremony comes as the Church of England prepares for a key debate on women bishops at the General Synod in York next month. The Synod is to be asked to back work on a national code of practice to accommodate opponents of women bishops.

A briefing note to the Synod from the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said a majority of the House of Bishops did not back measures such as setting up new dioceses for opponents of women bishops.

A traditionalist spokesman warned that the Church of England could face "difficulties" with around 500 clergy over the motion. He said: "If the General Synod proceeds to make no provision, or the sort of provision that is on the table at the moment, which is a code of practice that is not legally enforceable, then the Church of England will face difficulties in respect of, in round terms, 500 clergy."