CHRISTIAN CIVIL UNIONS AT

UNITED CHURCHES

IN THE MONTREAL PRESBYTERY

OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

Last June, the Quebec government passed new legislation to permit same-sex couples to have their union legally recognized as a "civil union" by the performance of a ceremony almost identical to a wedding by the same officers, including church ministers, authorized to perform weddings.

"Civil Unions" are virtually identical to marriages for all legal purposes, such as property sharing, "family patrimony", alimony/support rights, and succession with or without a will. Quebec law had already allowed couples or individuals, whether or not in a union and of any sexual orientation, to adopt children. Civil unions are not, however, "marriages" as marriage is governed by federal Canadian law.

Although church ministers were authorized by the Quebec law to perform the official civil union ceremonies, it is expressly up to the respective church authorities to decide whether such duties should be undertaken.

Montreal Presbytery, of The United Church of Canada, declared on September 10, 2002, that it was "proper" for its pastoral charges and missions to perform such "Christian civil unions", subject to the authority of the particular Session (council of elders) or equivalent of each pastoral charge.

As of April 1, 2003, 13 pastoral charges and 16 individual ministers have publicly announced their willingness to celebrate Christian civil unions. The United Church is the only major denomination to have announced its willingness to so proceed.

Under the United Church constitution, this is considered a matter of faith and is deferred to Session as the Elders are called upon not only to express their personal opinion (like any other members of the Congregation) but also to honestly discern what our faith requires of us.

In this content, we are also guided by our national United Church, which has from 1984 on, officially affirmed (and continues to affirm) the full inclusion of persons of all sexual orientation in all aspects of church life. Most recently at the 2000 General Council, The United Church of Canada affirmed that "human sexual orientations, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are a gift from God and part of the marvelous diversity of creation".

The celebration of Christian marriages and Christian civil unions remains a case-by-case decision depending on the preparedness and circumstances of the couple and their involvement in church life, but the actions of our Presbytery and Sessions remove a previous barrier to persons of the same sex and invite them to participate as a full couple in our church life.

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