Canada's Anglican Church Narrowly Votes to Allow Gay Marriage

The Canadian Anglican Church is temporarily allowing gay marriage celebrations after first voting it down. 

More than 200 delegates of church's General Synod met in Toronto to vote on the resolution that would approve same-sex marriage. But the six-day general meeting soon turned emotional when the measure failed to pass by one vote. 

"That is an issue of concern," Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the church, told delegates and clergy after the votes were counted. "We cannot leave this synod with this kind of confusion."

Days later it was discovered that one of the clergy member's votes was miscoded--therefore changing the vote tally. 

"This vote has been difficult for many, and no outcome can address all of our church's need to live and work together," Michael Thompson, the church's general secretary, said in a statement. "We have a long road ahead to restore our common life."

Changes cannot be made permanently to the church's marriage canon until the next General Synod meeting in 2019. If the vote is upheld, it will then become law. 

If the Canadian Anglican Church approves it then, it will join the Episcopal Church, which officially approved marriage ceremonies regardless of gender in 2015.