THE Anglican Bishop of Bendigo says he will not seek to put forward policies restricting same-sex marriage on church property or stopping Indigenous smoking ceremonies following debate from the Sydney Diocese this week.
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The Sydney Diocese last night approved a policy preventing same-sex marriages or events from being carried out on church property such as halls, schools, nursing homes and parishes.
An earlier policy idea to stop Indigenous smoking ceremonies was later withdrawn.
Anglican Bishop of Bendigo Matt Brain said all people of faith should have the opportunity to engage with the Bendigo Diocese.
“We’re talking about what happened in Sydney Diocese. They’ve obviously made decisions that they felt that they need to make,” he said.
“It’s not decisions that I’d seek to see put through our organisation.
“I’d be very keen to see anyone who wants to engage with God to have the opportunity to do so in the diocese.”
The decision by Sydney Diocese was an effort to protect the church from discrimination claims in case anyone within the church refused to take part in same-sex marriage events.
Four Anglican church leaders in Bendigo publicly supported same-sex marriage during last year’s postal vote.
They were Father Noel Richards of St Paul’s Cathedral, Reverend Jeff Stewart O’Hare, Reverend Mel Clark and Reverend Andrew Eaton.
In a joint statement issued last August, Father Richards said there was a duty to support “love”.
“Love should not be ignored, neither should it be denied,” he said.
“The ‘postal survey’ is not perfect, but is a step on the way of saying yes to love.
“Please register to vote, and vote with love.”
Other Bendigo churches – including the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst – were publicly opposed to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia.
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