What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • My own response to the government

    Phew, just finished writing my own response to the current round of consultation on changes to marriage law in Scotland.

    This one is not about the principle of introducing marriage for same-sex couples but about how such proposals will be implemented.

    It is more complex than you think because marriage law is more complex than you think!

    Anyway, here is my response, if anyone is interested:

    Consultation response Kelvin Holdsworth – March 2013

    To save you time wading through it, here’s the most interesting thing I’ve said:

    I believe that if someone is authorised to conduct a straight couple’s marriage then they should automatically be authorised to conduct marriages of same-sex couples. The law should apply equally to people and what has been proposed is not equality. For these reasons, I do not support the current proposals for determining who can and who can not conduct the marriage of a same-sex couple.

    If churches wish to limit the ability of a celebrant to conduct a marriage then they should continue to be able to do that through their own internal disciplinary procedure.

    I look forward to being able to celebrate marriages for same-sex couples one day in my congregation (St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow). I note with interest that once the state licenses marriages for same-sex couples, my own denomination (The Scottish Episcopal Church) will automatically have an authorised liturgy for blessing such couples – the service of Benediction, which is explicitly authorised in Canon Law for use with couples whose marriage is legal but which has not been performed according to the rites of the church.

    The consultation closes on Wednesday. More details here:
    https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/family-law/marriagebill

    , ,

10 responses to “Keeping the Feast”

  1. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Having looked at the pcitures and read the blog, there is only one response – WOW!!!!

    Looking forward to next year when I hope to be present.

    Reply
  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    It really was very very good. And you are so right about the ‘easy to over do the gloomy events’ thing – I found myself thinking ‘and when one gets home after an evening service, late, tired, one fasts’ only to realise that no, actually, one feasts!

    Reply
  3. chris Avatar
    chris

    Glad to have some good pics of the event. It was the the assurance that God was in the midst of it all that was so overpowering – ritual can be a very liberating element, as I’m always rediscovering!

    Reply
  4. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Put your date the diary – 7 July 2012

    Reply
  5. MadPriest Avatar
    MadPriest

    It all seems tickety-boo, Father, except for the fact that you should have used only red rose petals, liberated by the priest from various municipal gardens shortly before dawn on the day of the service, as is traditional. Also, I would have dragged a few urchins in off the street to accompany the priest as he scatters the petals. This is always a crowd pleaser.

    Reply
  6. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    Glasgow’s West End is too posh to have urchins… 😉

    NB love the monstrance and humeral veil! 😀

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    So disappointed to have missed it. Alas, the wee one was not up for rose petals yesterday evening. I do hope there will be a repeat next year.

    Reply
  8. Brother David Avatar
    Brother David

    OFF TOPIC –
    Padre Kelvin, I shared your post and the link to the glorious photos with Padre Bosco in New Zealand. And was reminded that St Mary’s has a connection. I thought that you may not have heard that Christchurch suffered more serious quakes earlier this week and the cathedral, with many other churches, businesses and homes, suffered much more damage. She lost her Rose window and large sections of walls with this last set of temblors. And although certainly no decisions have been taken, it is looking more like St Mary’s will loose her twin and some other type of building may rise in its place.

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      Thanks Brother David – I was aware of what’s been happening in Christchurch this week and have been remembering the people from there and specifically from the Cathedral there in my prayers.

      Reply
  9. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Elizabeth, we may just have to go for doing it again and different – but still glorious.

    Reply

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