Melbourne's Anglican church has voted in a majority to express "sorrow" over the decision to offer same-sex blessings in the regional Victorian city of Wangaratta.
The Wangaratta diocese became the first in Australia to pass such a regulation – with a majority of 78 per cent - in September.
The regulation allows clergy to conduct a blessing on members of the LGBTIQ+ community if they wish to.
Melbourne minister Robert Miller on Friday night moved a motion expressing “sorrow” over the regional diocese’s move, labelling it “profoundly disappointing”, “saddening” and disrespectful to the national church.
But the Melbourne vote of condemnation was not unanimous, with some members praising the Wangaratta diocese’s choice to “show love”.
Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier - who is also the Anglican Primate of Australia - has referred the Wangaratta decision to the Appellate Tribunal - the church's highest court.
The scheduled blessing of the marriage of two Anglican priests, Father John Davis and Father Rob Whalley, has been postponed due to the legal challenge.
Father Davis said the move by the Wangaratta diocese is simply “a pastoral response to a present reality”.
He told the ABC the move allows priests in the diocese to acknowledge the marriage in their own church.
‘Please leave us’
Earlier this week, Sydney's Anglican archbishop said his remarks telling same-sex marriage supporters to leave the church, rather than push for reform, were misconstrued.
"My own view is that if people wish to change the doctrine of our church, they should start a new church or join a church more aligned to their views - but do not ruin the Anglican church by abandoning the plain teaching of scripture," Dr Davies said in a presidential address to the Sydney Anglican diocese synod.
The official position of the Anglican Church of Australia is that marriage is only between a man and a woman.
That stance was reaffirmed at a meeting last year of Australia’s bishops, who agreed that any change in the doctrine should occur via the church’s constitution and laws.
The national Anglican synod will hold a special session in 2020 on same-sex marriage and blessings.
‘Issue alarms Christian denominations’
On Wednesday, Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, said same-sex marriage remains a troubling issue for Christians.
Australia's most senior Anglican told the annual Melbourne synod that gay marriage and the blessing of same-sex civil marriages is the issue of the times for the Anglican Church in Australia.
"Despite many other challenges that properly concern Christians, this one issue seems to be the one that most polarises and alarms Christian denominations," .
"Equally I suspect when we are in relationships with people in our families or congregations, we manage different opinions and identities very differently from when it is a debate amongst people we don't know personally."
