Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Christians need to show how the Gospel of Jesus is good news for gay people, the Archbishop of Wales said today.

Dr Barry Morgan said he was concerned about the welfare of gay people whom he feared could feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in churches over the coming months as Government proposals for same-sex marriage are debated nationally.

In his presidential address to members of the Church in Wales’ Governing Body in Llandudno, the Archbishop said same-sex relationships was a moral issue facing the Church and the world, on which there was no single Christian opinion. His concern, however, was that the Church should offer gay people pastoral care and support.

Dr Morgan said, “The Government’s consultation on civil marriage raises a whole host of theological questions for the church.  My concern at the moment is that in any discussion which might ensue on this, gay people may once more gain the impression that the church is uncaring and unsympathetic.  Things could be said in the coming months which I think could seriously damage people pastorally so it is that pastoral issue that I want to address.”

The Archbishop said that while the Bishops of the Church in Wales abided by the Christian doctrine of marriage as the union of one man with one woman freely entered into for life, they agreed that “all life-long committed relationships deserved the welcome, pastoral care and support of the Church and they were committed to further listening, prayerful reflection and discernment regarding same-sex relationships”.

But he warned, “Gays and lesbians claim they are still treated as second-class citizens, tolerated at best and vilified at worst....  Very often homosexuality is talked about as if real people were not involved; and gays and lesbians complain of being talked about rather than talked to in Church.”

He added, “The real question is, how do we hold together faithfulness to Scripture and tradition with the wider New Testament call to love our neighbour?  If the moral aim of the gospel is to encourage love of neighbour, how can that happen when people are made to feel unwanted, unloved, and sinful?  How is the gospel good news for homosexuals?”

Dr Barry Morgan said the Church would not be able to ignore the new legislation on civil marriage proposed by the Government, despite the fact that the legislation would not allow gay couples to marry in church. He called on the Church to discuss how it would respond.

He said, “If the legislation to allow civil marriage is passed, I cannot see how we as a church, will be able to ignore the legality of the status of such partnerships and we ought not to want to do so. 

“The question then as now is, will the church protect and support pastorally, faithful, stable, lifelong relationships of whatever kind in order to encourage human values such as love and fidelity and recognise the need in Christian people for some public religious support for these. As Helen says in the novel “Nightwatch” by Sarah Walters – a novel written in 1947, ‘what could she do to say to the world that Julia was hers?’  She could have gone on to ask ‘what can the church do to show that this relationship is not simply something between my partner and I but that somehow God is in our midst as well and longs for our wellbeing?’ It is a discussion we need to have.”

For a copy of the full address by the Archbishop, please contact Anna Morrell (details below). It can be read after delivery at: http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/bishops/sermonsb/b46.php

The Governing Body of the Church in Wales is meeting on Wednesday and Thursday (April 18-19) at  Venue Cymru, Llandudno.

Reporters are welcome to attend. The meeting starts at 11am on Wednesday, April 18.  

For a copy of the Agenda and papers for the Governing Body meeting, visit:

http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/govbody/apr12/

For more information, please contact:

Anna Morrell
Archbishop's Media Officer / Swyddog y Cyfryngau i'r Archesgob
Tel: 02920 348208; mobile: 07 91 91 587 94
39 Cathedral Rd, Cardiff / 39 Heol y Gadeirlan, Caerdydd
CF11 9XF
http://www.churchinwales.org.uk
http://www.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk

Rhaid i’r efengyl fod yn newyddion da i hoywon – yr Archesgob

Yn ôl Archesgob Cymru heddiw (18 Ebrill), rhaid i Gristnogion ddangos sut y mae Efengyl Iesu yn newyddion da i bobl hoyw.

Dywedodd y Dr Barry Morgan ei fod yn pryderu am fuddiannau pobl hoyw ac yn ofni y gallant deimlo’n anghyffyrddus a digroeso mewn eglwysi dros y misoedd nesaf pan fydd trafod ledled y wlad ar gynigion y Llywodraeth ar briodas un-rhyw.

In ei anerchiad llywyddol i aelodau Corff Llywodraethol yr Eglwys yng Nghymru yn Llandudno, dywedodd yr Archesgob fod perthynas un-rhyw yn bwnc moesol sy’n wynebu’r Eglwys a’r byd, ac nad oes yr un safbwynt Cristnogol clir arno. Yr oedd yn awyddus, fodd bynnag, fod yr Eglwys yn cynnig i bobl hoyw ofal bugeiliol a chefnogaeth.

Yn ôl y Dr Morgan, “Y mae ymgynghoriad y Llywodraeth ar briodas sifil yn codi nifer fawr o gwestiynau diwinyddoI i’r eglwys. Fy mhryder ar hyn o bryd yw y gall unrhyw drafodaeth ar y pwnc roi’r argraff unwaith eto i bobl hoyw nad oes gan yr eglwys na gofal amdanynt na chydymdeimlad â hwy. Fe all y dywedir pethau dros y misoedd sydd i ddod a all niweidio pobl yn fawr o safbwynt bugeiliol. I’r pwnc bugeiliol hwnnw yr ydw i am roi sylw”.

Dywedodd yr Archesgob fod esgobion yr Eglwys yng Nghymru yn glynu at yr athrawiaeth Gristnogol mai undod gwirfoddol am oes rhwng un g?r ac un wraig yw priodas, ond eu bod yn gytûn fod pob “perthynas ymrwymedig am oes yn haeddu croeso, gofal bugeiliol a chefnogaeth yr Eglwys, ac yr oeddent wedi ymrwymo i wrando ymhellach, i fyfyrio’n weddigar ac i geisio goleuni ar fater perthynas un rhyw”.

Ond rhybuddiodd, “dywed gwrywgydwyr a lesbiaid eu bod yn dal i gael eu trin fel dinasyddion eilradd – ar y gorau, eu goddef, ar y gwaethaf eu difrïo ... Trafodir gwrywgydiaeth yn aml fel pe na bai a wnelo ddim â phobl go iawn; cwyn gwrywgydwyr a lesbiaid yw mai siarad amdanynt, nid siarad â hwy, y mae’r Eglwys”.

Ychwanegodd, “Y cwestiwn yw hwn: sut y gallwn fod yn ffyddlon i’r Ysgrythur a thraddodiad ac ar yr un pryd ufuddhau i alwad ehangach y Testament Newydd i garu ein cymydog? ...  Os nod moesol yr efengyl yw annog caru cymydog, sut y gall hynny ddigwydd pan wneir i bobl deimlo nad oes ar neb eu heisiau, nad oes neb yn eu caru, a’u bod yn pechu? Sut y mae’r efengyl yn newyddion da i hoywon?

Dywedodd y Dr Barry Morgan na all yr Eglwys anwybyddu’r ddeddfwriaeth newydd y mae’r Llywodraeth yn ei chynnig ar briodas sifil, er na fyddai’r ddeddfwriaeth yn caniatáu i gyplau hoyw briodi mewn eglwys. Galwodd ar i’r Eglwys drafod beth fydd ei hymateb.

“Os caiff y ddeddfwriaeth i ganiatáu priodas sifil ei phasio,” meddai, ni allaf weld sut y gallwn ni fel eglwys anwybyddu cyfreithlondeb statws partneriaethau o’r fath, ac ni ddylem fod am wneud hynny.

“Y cwestiwn bob amser yw: a fydd yr Eglwys yn amddiffyn ac yn cefnogi’n fugeiliol berthynas, o ba fath bynnag, sy’n berthynas ffyddlon, sefydlog ac am oes, er mwyn hyrwyddo gwerthoedd dynol fel cariad a ffyddlondeb, ac yn cydnabod angen Cristnogion am arwydd o gefnogaeth grefyddol gyhoeddus i’r pethau hyn? Fel y dywed Helen yn y nofel Nightwatch gan Sarah Walters – a ysgrifennwyd yn 1947: ‘beth allai hi ei wneud i ddangos i’r byd mai ei heiddo hi oedd Julia?’ Fe allai fod wedi mynd ymlaen i ofyn: ‘beth all yr Eglwys ei wneud i ddangos nad rhywbeth rhyngof fi a’m partner yn unig yw’r berthynas hon ond bod Duw, rywfodd neu’i gilydd, gyda ni ac yn dyheu am inni ffynnu’. Mae’n drafodaeth y bydd yn rhaid inni ei chael.”

Am gopi o anerchiad yr Archesgob, cysylltwch ag Anna Morrell. Wedi iddo ei draddodi, gellir ei ddarllen ar:

http://www.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk/strwythur/esgobion/sermonsb/bc21.php

Bydd Corff Llywodraethol yr Eglwys yng Nghymru yn cyfarfod ddydd Mercher a dydd Iau (18-19 Ebrill) yn Venue Cymru, Llandudno.

Croesewir gohebwyr. Bydd y cyfarfod yn dechrau am 11am ddydd Mercher, 18 Ebrill.  

Am gopi o Agenda’r Corff Llywodraethol, ewch i:

http://www.eglwysyngnghymru.org.uk/strwythur/corffllywodraethol/ebrill12