Divorcees can wed in Church

The Church of England today gave its overwhelming official backing for divorced couples to remarry in church, removing a symbolic obstacle in the way of Prince Charles marrying Camilla Parker Bowles.

In a victory for liberals, its ruling body the General Synod voted by 269 votes to 83 in favour of the move, in the hope of ending a dilemma that the Bishop of Winchester said had afflicted the Church from its earliest days.

Anglican clergy already have the discretion to marry divorcees whose former spouses are still alive, but the Synod strongly agreed that an unambiguous statement of principle was needed.

Both Prince Charles and Mrs Parker Bowles are divorcees and although they are free to marry each other in church, if they could find a priest willing to carry out the ceremony, it would be unthinkable of them to do so without a clear ruling from the Anglican hierarchy.

The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, told the General Synod in York: "As things are we present an uncertain, incoherent picture to those who want to know where the Church of England stands on an issue which sadly touches the lives of many thousands of people."

He said today's move was of vital importance given that 11 per cent of the 7,500 church weddings held every year already include at least one divorcee.

But the Bishop was at pains to emphasise the new guidelines were not intended to dilute the principle of a lifelong marriage. He said: "The House of Bishops is firmly convinced that marriage should only be entered into as a lifelong vocation and it would not have supported these proposals had it thought otherwise."

He rejected fears among hardliners that the move would Although many other considerations stand between Prince Charles and a possible marriage to Mrs Parker Bowles - such as public reaction to the future Monarch and head of the Church of England marrying a divorcee, and the attitude of the Queen - it is thought he will welcome today's clarification.

Asked this time last year whether he had plans to remarry, Prince Charles said: "Who knows what the good Lord has planned."

Church of England sources were today trying to play down any link between the new rules and the Prince's dilemma.

A Church House source said: "The Church has been wrestling with this problem for many years, long before it became an issue for Prince Charles."

However veteran religious commentator George Austin said of today's vote: "This decision will be interpreted by the public as the Church giving its backing to Prince Charles marrying Camilla Parker Bowles.

"She is the love of his life and it is better that they marry."

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