The Porvoo Communion of Churches

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The Porvoo Communion of Churches THE PORVOO COMMUNION OF CHURCHES CONSULTATION ON THE CHURCHES’ TEACHING ON MARRIAGE CHALLENGES IN APPLYING THE TEACHING AND THEOLOGY TURKU, FINLAND 1-4 NOVEMBER 2011 Table of Contents Introduction...................................................................................................... 1 Consultation Documents ................................................................................. 3 Guide .......................................................................................................................................3 Timetable .............................................................................................................................. 10 Workshops ............................................................................................................................. 11 Small Groups ........................................................................................................................ 13 General Situation in Churches ............................................................................................. 14 Comments – Snapshots of Discussions ............................................................................... 14 Communiqué ........................................................................................................................ 16 Participants ........................................................................................................................... 19 Bible Studies: Rt Rev’d Michael Jackson ....................................................... 20 1.The Genesis of Marriage ................................................................................................... 20 2.Covenant, Communion and Contract .............................................................................. 23 3. Ephesians and our Context ............................................................................................. 26 4. Apocalypse now? Revelation 21.1-8 ................................................................................. 30 Presentations .................................................................................................. 33 1. An Interpretation of Biblical Passages Related to Marriage in the Old and the New Testament Prof Dr Antti Laato ............................................................................................................... 33 2. Blessing of Registered Partnerships between Same-sex Persons: The Decision of the Church of Sweden Prof Dr Carl Reinhold Bråkenhielm, .................................................................................. 40 3.Development in the Doctrines of Creation and Marriage Prof Oliver O’Donovan ....................................................................................................... 43 4. Gender and Genetics Bishop Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga ........................................................................................... 48 Theological and Doctrinal Papers and Regulations ....................................... 53 1. A Pastoral Paper on Issues of Human Sexuality in their Legal Context – an Anglican Bishop’s View Rt Rev’d Christopher Hill ..................................................................................................... 53 2. Marriage in England, Past and Present Rev’d Dr Anders Bergquist ................................................................................................... 57 3. The Teaching and Practice of the Church of England with Regard to Marriage Dr Martin Davie .................................................................................................................. 63 4. Gift of Love: Finnish Bishops on Family, Marriage and Sexuality ................................. 85 5. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland: On Marriage ................................................ 129 6. The Church of Ireland: Marriage Regulations............................................................... 130 Theological and Doctrinal Papers and Regulations (continued) 7. Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad Regarding Marriage and Homosexuality ........................................................................... 135 8. Scottish Episcopal Church ............................................................................................. 136 1. Application under Section 4 of Canon XXXI.............................................................. 136 2. Guidelines for Parish Clergy Canon 31 ....................................................................... 137 9. The Church of Sweden ................................................................................................... 138 1. Letter to Ecumenical Partners on a Possible Decision of The Church of Sweden Regarding Same-sex Marriages ...................................................................................... 138 2. Proposals for Same-sex Marriage for Discussion in General Synod Sessions in September and October 2009 .................................................................................... 139 3.General Synod Doctrine Board Statement 2009:12y on Wedding and Marriage ..... 178 10. The Church in Wales A paper Regarding the Official Teaching and Position of the Church in Wales on Marriage: Rev’d Matthew Hill ...................................................................................... 184 Orders of Service ........................................................................................... 192 The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark ................................................................. 192 The Marriage Service ...................................................................................................... 192 Church Blessing of Civil Marriage ................................................................................. 195 The Church of England ...................................................................................................... 198 The Book of Common Prayer: Solemnization of Matrimony ....................................... 198 Common Worship: The Marriage Service .................................................................... 204 The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland: Wedding Ceremony ............................................................................................................ 211 The Church of Ireland ....................................................................................................... 220 The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony .................................................................. 220 The Marriage Service ...................................................................................................... 225 A Form of Dedication and Prayer after a Civil Marriage .............................................. 233 Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad: Marriage Liturgy ................................... 238 The Church of Sweden: The Marriage Service ................................................................. 240 Church in Wales: Draft Marriage Service within a Celebration of the Holy Eucharist ................................ 243 INTRODUCTION The Churches of the Porvoo Communion, mostly in Northern Europe, are Churches that have signed an agreement to “share a common life in mission and service”. The name Porvoo comes from the Finnish diocese and city in whose Cathedral the Eucharist was celebrated on the final Sunday of the conversations in 1992 leading to the Common Statement and thus finally to the Porvoo Communion. The Churches which have signed the Porvoo Agreement are six Anglican Churches (the Church of England, the Church of Ireland, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church in Wales, the Lusitanian Church of Portugal and the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain) and seven Lutheran Churches (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, the Church of Norway, the Church of Sweden, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania). The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad as well as the Lutheran Church in Great Britain participate in Porvoo Communion meetings as observers. Representatives of the Churches of the Porvoo Communion of Churches met in Turku, Finland, November 1 – 4 2011, to explore the churches’ teaching on marriage. The aim of the Consultation was to listen, share and learn and to work towards greater mutual understanding of each other’s official position on marriage. Each member Church was invited to submit copies of its marriage liturgies and regulations. This material together with lectures on the interpretation of biblical passages related to marriage in the Old and in the New Testaments by Professor Antti Laato (Finland); on theological arguments towards same-sex marriage by Professor Carl Braakenhielm (Sweden) with a response from Professor Oliver O’Donovan (Scotland, representing the Church of England); and on aspects of human genetics by Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga (England) gave scope and shape to the discussions. Professor Laato examined the content of key Scriptural texts and explored hermeneutical questions. Professor Braakenhielm explored the I-Thou relationship in the theology of Martin Buber, the renowned theologian and philosopher in the Jewish tradition, as, in his opinion, the paramount principle to be considered when addressing any new ethic of marriage. Professor
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