Let them eat cake...

Dawn French as Geraldine Granger
in The Vicar of Dibley.

The big piece of news today is that the Church of England has decided to let gay clergy men become bishops.

At last it seems that the Church has realised that diversity and equality within the clergy is a good thing and that the thought of a gay bishop is no more upsetting than Dawn French in the Vicar of Dibley.

But no. There's a catch. Gay members of the clergy will be able to become bishops as long as they remain celibate.

In 2005, the Church ruled that someone in a same-sex civil partnership could become a priest as long as they were celibate. This latest ruling, that will give gay clergymen the right to become bishops, follows the same format – they have to remain celibate.

If the church has backed down on those in civil partnerships becoming vicars and now bishops and is willing to recognise their sexual orientation, then why continue to deny one of the things that is a defining characteristic of that orientation? Of course, being gay – or straight for that matter – does not mean that life revolves around sex, but it is an important part of relationships, both physically and emotionally; forcing someone to give that connection up for a career boost seems both selfish and cruel.

How would the Church be able to tell if someone is telling the truth about what they did last Friday night or not anyway? Are they going to spy on gay bishops? Follow them down the street? Lead them into temptation and take incriminating photographs?

The bishop of Norwich, Rt Rev Graham James, confirmed the decision to allow gay clergymen to become bishops, in an interview with the Independent, but he also added that; “because of the controversy surrounding such appointments, any gay cleric looking to become a bishop would be expected to answer questions on the nature of their celibacy” - something that straight clergymen do not have to do.

Of course, the church forcing someone to take such a quiz could guilt someone into revealing any transgressions but what a patronising, sad and hypercritical farce that would be.

So it seems that, while the church appears to be taking steps to embrace its gay community at last, it is on a slippery slope and hasn’t really made much progress. Yes, they are offering more opportunity to gay members of the clergy but at the same time, deny them of something that defines and is a part of who they are.

In this modern society where gay relationships are openly accepted, civil partnerships are increasing and people feel free to be themselves, rather than living a lie just because of social pressure, no one should have to explain their sexual conquests to anyone, regardless of religion.

And anyway, more to the point, if you're going to let someone have their cake, you might as well let them eat it too?

Left: The villagers in Dibley find out they have a women vicar. The show demonstrates how the church is able to adapt to change, as is it's congreagation's perceptions of women in the clergy. If people can accept a women priest for who she is, then why not a gay bishop?