Same-sex couples can now have their marriage blessed by the Church in Wales following a vote earlier in the week.
The Church still won’t be performing same-sex marriages, however.
The Church in Wales is the Anglican Church in Wales, made up of six dioceses.
The Evangelical Fellowship expressed its opposition to the move, saying it did not uphold the “standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman”.
However, the former Dean of St Albans, Very Reverend Jeffrey John supported the move, describing it as a “halfway house” that didn’t go far enough.
The Church in Wales said it was a step on the way towards repentance of a history which has “demonised and persecuted gay and lesbian people”.
Individual clergy will be able to opt-out of offering the blessing to same-sex couples, with some arguing that the change is likely to cause a split in the Church.
The bill authorising a service of blessing was passed by all three orders of the Church’s governing body at the meeting in Newport.
The bishops passed it unanimously, the clergy passed it by 28 to 12, with two abstentions, and the laity passed it by 49 to 10, with one abstention.
The Church in Wales currently allows for gay and lesbian clergy, and does not require celibacy of them.
However, the Church of England does not currently recognise same-sex marriages, forbids its clergy to bless same-sex unions and only allows celibate gay and lesbian clergy to minister, signalling a divide with the Church in Wales on the topic.
