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Members of General Synod during their vote on an amendment at Church House in London. The General Synod, the Church of England's equivalent of Parliament, meets twice a year to consider and pass legislation affecting the church.

DLNews Staff:

The Church of England wants to allow same-sex couples to receive Christian blessings in the future. On Thursday, the General Synod in London voted in favor of a corresponding proposal after an hour-long and acrimonious debate.

However, gay couples will still not be allowed to marry in church.

The Anglican Church remains divided on the issue of how to deal with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer people (LGBTQ).

"I am aware that there are people who are very grateful for this, and there are those who are hurt," London Bishop Mullally said after the result was announced, referring to the decision to bless same-sex couples in the future.

Thus, in the vote in London, 250 members of the General Synod voted in favor of blessing same-sex couples, 181 against, and ten abstained.

The motion now passed also recognizes the "failure of the church" to welcome people from the LGBTQ community, according to London Bishop Sarah Mullally, 60.

No church wedding

Same-sex civil marriages have been allowed in England and Wales since 2013. However, the Church of England does not allow its priests to marry people of the same sex.