A CIVIL partnership involving a Church of Ireland dean and his same-sex partner of 20 years has “the capacity to be a source of significant division”, Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper has said.He was referring to the civil partnership entered into by Church of Ireland Dean of Leighlin, Carlow, Rev Tom Gordon.
Originally from Portadown, Co Armagh, Dean Gordon confirmed last weekend the civil partnership had taken place in a registry office last July.
Speaking to the BBC, Archbishop Harper said civil partnerships were a “civil right enshrined in law” which the church had no power to prevent.
He said no one should pretend there was not a range of views in the church on issues to do with sexuality.
“All clergy should be more than aware that this is an unresolved and frankly a contentious issue in the church and one that is likely to cause division,” he said.
“I had hoped the ongoing debate would be conducted a bit more carefully and a bit more generously than it appears to be at the moment.”
He continued that “differences of opinion already exist. This has sharpened the debate, focused it more narrowly, and it does have the capacity to be a source of significant division.”
He noted the reaction to Dean Gordon’s civil partnership in Northern Ireland had been “relatively strong”, particularly from those who opposed such partnerships.
“In the Republic, the reaction has been much more relaxed – it’s not been a major issue.”
A statement on behalf of Church of Ireland evangelicals said: “We fear Dean Gordon’s action will cause pain and grief within our church and damage relationships with other Christian traditions in Ireland with whom we work closely at local as well as regional level.”
The statement, from the committees of the Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship, the Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy, New Wine (Ireland) and Reform Ireland, said they wished “to express our sorrow at the announcement that a serving cleric of the Church of Ireland has entered into a civil partnership with another man”.
They queried whether Dean Gordon had informed his bishop;whether the relationship with his partner was celibate; and, if it was not, whether this had implications for Dean Gordon’s “pastoral and diocesan roles”.
It said: “if the orthodox view of marriage and sexuality is allowed to be shattered by the actions of Dean Gordon and others, then it is difficult to see how a respectful fellowship can be maintained”, adding: “Our desire is for a continuing and growing unity within the Church of Ireland and to see such unity expressed in a holiness and morality that is both personal and corporate.”