Church of England

Dioceses of the Church of England (red=Province of York; yellow=Province of Canterbury)

The Church of England is the established church in England. Its continuous history dates from the appointment of the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 597. The church was part of the Roman Catholic Church until 1534 when Henry VIII separated it from Rome in order to get a divorce.

The church comprises two provinces, Canterbury and York. The province of York covers the northern part of England, with a separate bishop for the Isle of Man. The Province of Canterbury covers the southern part of England, with a separate bishop for Gibraltar and the continent of Europe. The Channel Islands are treated as part of the Diocese of Winchester. The Province of Canterbury also included the whole of Wales until the Church in Wales was separated off in 1920.

Certain bishops have seats in the House of Lords, as "Lords Spiritual".

Attitude to gay clergy

It is widely assumed that many Church of England clergy are gay or lesbian.

In January 2013 the church ruled that gay clergy in civil partnerships are eligible to be bishops, provided they remain "celibate" (e abstain from having sex).

Equal marriage

The Church of England (and the Church in Wales) is legally obliged to provide a marriage ceremony for people living in the parish in question. Given the church's official opposition to gay marriage, specific provisions were included in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill to prohibit the church from conducting same-sex weddings.