Gay priest forced to wait for verdict in church discrimination tribunal
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Version 0 of 1. A clergyman who wed his partner in a same-sex marriage may have to wait until next year to find out whether a decision by the church to remove his right to officiate was discriminatory. Canon Jeremy Pemberton, who married Laurence Cunnington last April, was told a job offer as a chaplain for Sherwood Forest hospitals NHS trust was being withdrawn. Related: Archbishop of Canterbury 'passed the buck over gay priest's wedding' This came after Richard Inwood, the acting bishop of Southwell and Nottinghamshire, refused him a licence to officiate. Inwood previously said Pemberton’s same-sex marriage was against the church’s beliefs. Pemberton has taken the Church of England to a tribunal, claiming that he was unlawfully discriminated against by the bishop. He was joined by supporters including the broadcaster the Rev Richard Coles as the Nottingham employment tribunal heard the final submissions from both parties on Tuesday. Thomas Linden QC, representing the church, said: “The state should not be saying to a religious organisation: ‘You can or can’t choose this person as your priest’. The tribunal should say it’s clear on the evidence what the church thinks of same-sex marriage.” He argued that Pemberton went against the doctrine of the church when he entered his same-sex marriage in “a blaze of publicity”. Sean Jones, representing Pemberton, suggested the church would not have had an issue with him if he was in a civil partnership, even though he claimed they were nearly the same. He said: “They are saying it’s not the substance, it’s the label. [The doctrine of marriage as one man and one woman] was not drawn up to prohibit same-sex marriage.” Jones said nothing stopped clergy from entering into civil partnerships and questioned why it should be different now another type of “civil union the state calls marriage” has been introduced. A final conclusion is not expected until next year. |