A gay Church of England priest has reflected on the news that the House of Bishops are halting plans to allow gay couples to receive dedicated blessings. The 15-minute sermon by The Very Reverend Dr Mark Oakley, the Dean of Southwark Cathedral in London, reflected on the recent news that the House of Bishops would be halting plans to allow gay couples to receive dedicated blessings, and that a ban on priests entering same-sex marriages would be extended. “The first bit of news was that the House of Bishops has decided to put through the proposal that stand alone services of blessing for same-sex couples should go through a process that won’t agree to it, and that clergy will continue to be barred from entering a civil marriage, with a same-sex partner,” he said. “If they do, they are likely to lose their licence and not get a new appointment… Nor will those who are gay and married be accepted for ordination training. Of course, add to this that we are not allowed to marry same-sex c...