Review of church remarriage ban

THE ANGLICAN Church in Wales is to consider a report urging that divorced people be allowed to remarry in church, writes Andrew Brown.

A report by the Church's doctrinal commission points out that more and more couples who have become committed Christians now want to be married a second time in church. Although many divorcees are active in church matters and take Communion, they are still denied remarriage. 'There seems to be a serious discrepancy here,' the report says.

It argues that the Church should be free to grant divorced couples remarriage without weakening the view that permanence is still the essence of the Christian ideal of marriage. It says that the healing possibilities of a 'new and different' marriage should be acknowledged.

The Church of England's General Synod may discuss a similar reform in November.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, is known to favour a reform. Two of his own four children are divorced, and one has remarried, though not in church.