The approach, radical for the United States, is commonly practiced in Europe. The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, which covers the eastern part of the state, has scheduled a vote in three weeks , at its 221st annual convention. A similar proposal was tabled at the Episcopal Church's general convention this summer; in Massachusetts, it is thought to have a better chance of passage because the clergy is more liberal.

Episcopal priests in Massachusetts have been particularly engaged in the issue of gay marriage, because the diocese here has been strongly supportive of gay rights, but the national church's regulations define marriage as a heterosexual institution. The local bishop, M. Thomas Shaw , a supporter of same-sex marriage, has decreed that local Episcopal priests cannot sign the marriage licenses of same-sex couples, but can bless those couples after they are legally married by clergy of another denomination or by a civil official.

"I feel this is a way to equalize an inequity in what Episcopal clergy can do for gay folks and straight folks," said the Rev. Margaret (Mally) E. Lloyd , rector of Christ Church in Plymouth. Lloyd is one of five Episcopal priests sponsoring the resolution.

"Right now, we can only offer blessings for gay folks who are married, and it's not fair," she said. "The church moves slowly to make changes in canon law, so what can we do in the meantime? This is something good for the diocese to wrestle with."

The resolution would declare diocesan convention's desire that, starting in January 2008, Episcopal marriages be presided over by an agent of the state, and not Episcopal clergy, whose role would be limited to blessing a married couple. That is the system currently in place for gay and lesbian couples at Episcopal churches. In some cases, the civil and religious ceremonies both take place in the church; the couple can bring a justice of the peace, or a minister of another denomination, who signs the state marriage license and pronounces the couple married, and then the Episcopal priest blesses the couple. In other cases, the civil and religious ceremonies take place separately.

The resolutions will be discussed at regional meetings starting Friday, and then voted on Oct. 28, on the second day of a two-day convention that will draw an estimated 800 voting delegates, clergy and lay, to Trinity Church in Boston. If approved, it would be up to Shaw to decide what steps to take next. Shaw has taken no position on the resolution and declined to comment.

The resolution is one of several stemming from the gay marriage debate that will face Episcopal convention attendees. Emmanuel Church in Boston has asked the convention to ask the national church to formally allow Episcopal marriage rites to be used for same-sex couples in states where same-sex marriage is legal. And three priests have put forward a resolution under which the diocese would ask the Legislature to vote against a proposed ballot measure that would overturn same-sex marriage; the Legislature is scheduled to meet Nov. 9 to take up that ballot measure.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is among the most supportive in the country of gay rights, but there remain a handful of clergy and congregations opposed to same-sex marriage. Several local conservative parishes are grappling with whether to attempt to formally dissociate themselves in some way from diocesan leadership, and some are so alienated that they are not planning to attend the diocesan convention, so it is not clear how strongly opposition will be voiced.

"I'm not excited about this at all," said the Rev. John (Jack) Potter , rector of St. John's Church in Franklin. Potter, who said he opposes same-sex marriage "on Biblical grounds," said he believes Episcopalians would be unhappy with a two-step wedding process.

"My understanding of Christian marriage is that it is something that has, certainly with imperfections, been part of our life from the beginning, and now to suggest that we have to have a civil magistrate perform part of the wedding is totally inappropriate and contradictory to our tradition," said Potter, who said he has not decided whether to attend the convention. "They cite that this is how it's done in Europe, but when I look at the secularization in Europe, and the obvious attempt to sideline the Christian faith there, I'm not too excited about that as an authority."

Since Massachusetts legalized same sex marriage in 2004, religious denominations have been struggling with whether to allow clergy to officiate at such nontraditional ceremonies. Some liberal denominations, such as the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Reform and Reconstructionist movements of Judaism, allow full clergy participation; more conservative denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox church, and Orthodox Judaism, prohibit such participation. But many mainline Protestant denominations have been debating how to balance the desire of some clergy and parishioners to proceed with same-sex marriages with traditional teachings, and often clear church rulings, barring the sanctioning of such unions.

"This resolution is for us in the Episcopal Church, but I think it will have ramifications for our brethren in other denominations, by raising questions about our acting as agents of the state," said a sponsor of the resolution, the Rev. Robert (Skip) G. Windsor . Windsor said the resolution really has nothing to do with the same-sex marriage issue, but is about concerns over the separation of church and state.

Windsor and Lloyd both said that, under the current system, many couples seek to have church weddings because they like the setting . They said they hoped that if the church stopped officiating at marriages, couples that sought a religious ceremony in addition to the civil procedure would be doing so as a reflection of faith.

Michael Paulson can be reached at mpaulson@globe.com
Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company

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