by Louise Doyle
THE Church of Ireland Diocese of Derry and Raphoe has backed calls to allow clergy to perform marriages in secular venues.
A motion, introduced in recent days, seconded by Nuala Dudley, from the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe, could potentially bring a sea change in the future of weddings in Donegal and throughout the country.
Mrs Dudley seconded Motion Number 3, which was introduced to members of the General Synod. It proposes that a working group (to include members of both the House of Bishops and the House of Representatives) be established by the Church of Ireland’s Standing Committee to investigate the possibility of allowing Church of Ireland clergy to solemnise marriages in secular venues as part of the Church’s outreach.
The Motion calls on this working group to bring its final report and recommendations to the General Synod of 2027 at the latest.
Proposing the Motion, Canon Lesley Robinson, of Dublin and Glendalough, said she was aware the issue of performing marriages in secular venues had come before Synod before.
But she pointed out that each year at Dublin and Glendalough’s Diocesan Synod her colleagues lamented the missed opportunities of outreach due to the general prohibition which remained in place.
She said she was more convinced than ever that not being allowed to solemnise marriage in a hotel or other secular wedding venue flew in the face of the spirit of pioneer ministry, which seeks to reach those with little or no connection to church.
“Couples choose secular wedding venues for many reasons – perhaps for the convenience of having everything in one place, or perhaps because of the lack of accessibility, comfort, parking or toilet facilities in many of our churches. While it is true that some couples may have no wish to have a religious ceremony, undoubtedly there are others who would opt for a religious ceremony if it were an option in their chosen venue,” Canon Robinson said.
She pointed out that in an increasingly secular society, pastoral services in churches such as baptisms, weddings and funerals were regularly attended by people who were not regular worshippers.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of Church of Ireland marriages solemnised in the last 10 years had fallen by more than 50 per cent. The trend is similar in the North of Ireland.
But civil ceremonies are growing in popularity, with about one third of all marriages in the Republic of Ireland being conducted as civil ceremonies.
Mrs Dudley said reasons for this included declining religious affiliation, personalisation, venue flexibility and cost considerations.
“The widening gap between church and contemporary culture is increasingly evident,” Mrs Dudley said.
“I believe this motion has the potential to provide the Church with an opportunity to engage with those who are currently beyond our church buildings; to offer to those who have fallen out of the way of regular church going, an opportunity once again to engage with Church, within a more suitable setting for them.
“It also offers the Church, potentially, a relationship with couples that might otherwise have decided on a civil ceremony, if using a church was their only option. Is our Pioneer Ministry not about engaging people where they are, instead of them coming to us? Are we not about trying to be alongside people and finding new ways of doing things?” she asked Synod.
Mrs Dudley said she valued the Church of Ireland’s liturgy but said the Church was nothing without people.
She suggested the motion would provide the option to continue the solemnisation of Christian marriages in churches, as well as the option to have Christian marriages solemnised in other contexts.
Clergy from Clogher, Dromore, Down, Dublin and Cork also spoke resoundingly in favour of the potential move.
Canon Robinson responded to the speakers and said that the debate showed the need for a working group so people could sit down and talk through the pros and cons. She stressed that the idea would not be to change the liturgy and regulations, it would simply be to do it elsewhere.
The motion was passed by members.
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)