Anglican Church rejects 'prayers of blessing' for same-sex unions
Rainbow flag. Symbol of gay sin JOHANNESBURG - The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has voted against the blessing of same-sex civil unions in South Africa . The vote was taken by the church's top legislative body, the Provincial Synod . Same-sex marriages are allowed only under South African civil law. The initial motion before the Synod also proposed that bishops could provide for clergy who identify as LGBTI and are in legal same-sex civil unions, to be licensed to minister in parishes. But the proposers withdrew this section before debate began. The church includes Anglicans in Angola, Lesotho , Mozambique, Namibia , South Africa, Swaziland and on the island of Saint Helena .