“Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu have apologized for a decree issued by the Church of England which said that only heterosexual married couples should have sex and that sex in gay or straight civil partnerships ‘falls short of God’s purpose for human beings.’ ‘We as Archbishops, alongside the bishops of the Church of England, apologize and take responsibility for releasing a statement last week which we acknowledge has jeopardized trust,’ the archbishops said in a statement, according to Belfast Telegraph. ‘We are very sorry and recognize the division and hurt this has caused.’ The House of Bishops of the Church of England last week issued a pastoral guidance, which said, ‘For Christians, marriage—that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows—remains the proper context for sexual activity.’ After the guidance, some important Anglican figures wrote an open letter to the archbishops, warning that the denomination had become ‘a laughingstock to a nation that believes it is obsessed with sex,’ according to The Telegraph. The pastoral statement, they added, ‘makes clear there has been no desire to listen or learn from those of us who spoke to explain how offensive we found the tone of the House of Bishops’ previous document. Indeed, the statement is anything but “pastoral”—it is cold, defensive, and uncaring of its impact on the millions of people it affects.’”
“Church of England apologizes,” Christian Post, Feb. 2, 2020