James McCue took the Anglican Diocese of Toronto to Ontario Human Rights Commission for denial of survivor pension benefits.
[9] Bishop Michael Ingham said of the rite, "This is not a marriage ceremony, but a blessing of permanent and faithful commitments between persons of the same sex.
"[9] Since then ten other dioceses (Edmonton, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Winnipeg-based Rupert's Land, Ottawa, Toronto, London-based Huron, Quebec, Hamilton-based Niagara, Montreal and Victoria-based British Columbia) have followed suit.
The Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (formerly the Kamloops-based Diocese of Cariboo and now known as the Territory of the People[10]) also permit such rites.
[13] In an October 2003 letter by then-primate Archbishop Michael Peers said, "Canadian gays and lesbians will continue to be welcomed and received in our churches and to have their contributions to our common life honoured.
"[14] In May 2004, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada passed a resolution on homosexuality, urging the church to continue dialogue and to: affirm the crucial value of continued respectful dialogue and study of biblical, theological, liturgical, pastoral, scientific, psychological and social aspects of human sexuality; and call upon all bishops, clergy and lay leaders to be instrumental in seeing that dialogue and study continue, intentionally involving gay and lesbian persons...to prepare resources for the church to use in addressing issues relating to human sexuality including the blessing of same sex unions and the changing definition of marriage in society.
In May 2007, the 106th Diocesan Synod of New Westminster passed a motion that "no person will be denied Baptism, Communion, or Confirmation because of their own or their parents’ sexual orientation.
Meeting in June, 2007, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada voted to affirm that the blessing of same-sex unions was not a matter of core doctrine; but a motion to authorize dioceses to permit the blessing of such unions was narrowly defeated by the order of bishops (it was passed by the orders of clergy and laity).
Delegates to the synods of the dioceses of Montreal and Ottawa proceeded to bring forward motions requesting episcopal authorisation of the blessing of same-sex unions later in 2007.
[23][24] Currently, by virtue of the pastoral letter on the subject by the House of Bishops, priests may offer a service of the Eucharist (i.e. a Nuptial Mass) with intercessions for a civilly-married couple provided that neither vows are exchanged nor a blessing given.
[25] The Diocese of Niagara passed a resolution to allow the blessing of same-sex unions in 2004, but Bishop Ralph Spence withheld assent.
In 2007, he gave assent to a motion quite similar to that passed by the synods of Montreal and Ottawa, and indicated further consultations will take place before permission is given to clergy to conduct same-sex blessings.
Yet as a local option at diocesan level so far the blessing of same-sex unions is practised in eleven dioceses,[2] and on September 30, 2012, the Bishop of Saskatoon ordained as deacon an individual who is civilly married to a person of the same sex.
The parish accepted an invitation to receive oversight from the conservative Anglican Province of the Southern Cone (South America).
In 2013, the dioceses of Ontario, Huron and British Columbia joined several others in allowing blessings for gay and lesbian marriages.
[33][34] Following the revised result of the vote, the Bishop of Niagara stated "I am committed to my promise to our diocese and local LGBTQ2 community to continue to walk along the path of full inclusion and to immediately proceed with equal marriage".
[36] On the same day the General Synod did approve a document entitled "A Word to the Church", effectively introducing a "local option" where the permissibility of same-sex marriage is decided at the diocesan level by each individual bishop.