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Desmond
Tutu’s daughter, Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu-van Furth has been forced to give up her duties as a priest in
South Africa’s Anglican church after she married a woman, she told AFP today
Tutu’s daughter, Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu-van Furth has been forced to give up her duties as a priest in
South Africa’s Anglican church after she married a woman, she told AFP today
Mpho
can no longer preside at holy communion,
weddings, baptisms or funerals after handing in her licence because the
church does not recognise gay marriage. She said her father, the retired
archbishop and celebrated anti-apartheid campaigner, was “sad but not
surprised” at the news.
can no longer preside at holy communion,
weddings, baptisms or funerals after handing in her licence because the
church does not recognise gay marriage. She said her father, the retired
archbishop and celebrated anti-apartheid campaigner, was “sad but not
surprised” at the news.
“The
canon (law) of the South African Church states that marriage is between
one man and one woman,” Tutu-van Furth said in an email. “After
my marriage… the Bishop of Saldanha Bay was advised that he must
revoke my licence. I offered to return my licence rather than require
that he take it from me.”
canon (law) of the South African Church states that marriage is between
one man and one woman,” Tutu-van Furth said in an email. “After
my marriage… the Bishop of Saldanha Bay was advised that he must
revoke my licence. I offered to return my licence rather than require
that he take it from me.”
Mpho
and Marceline Tutu-van Furth have been on honeymoon on the Indonesian
island of Bali after holding a wedding party outside Cape Town earlier
this month.
and Marceline Tutu-van Furth have been on honeymoon on the Indonesian
island of Bali after holding a wedding party outside Cape Town earlier
this month.
Desmond Tutu, 84, who
has been in frail health, attended the celebrations with his wife. He
has previously spoken out in favour of gay marriage.
has been in frail health, attended the celebrations with his wife. He
has previously spoken out in favour of gay marriage.
Marceline
Tutu-van Furth is an Amsterdam-based professor specialising in
paediatric infections. The couple — who are both divorced and have
children — officially tied the knot in the Netherlands in December.
Tutu-van Furth is an Amsterdam-based professor specialising in
paediatric infections. The couple — who are both divorced and have
children — officially tied the knot in the Netherlands in December.
“My
wife and I meet across almost every dimension of difference. Some of
our differences are obvious; she is tall and white, I am black and
vertically challenged,” Mpho told the South African City Press
newspaper. “Ironically,
coming from a past where difference was the instrument of division, it
is our sameness that is now the cause of distress,” she said in a
reference to apartheid.
wife and I meet across almost every dimension of difference. Some of
our differences are obvious; she is tall and white, I am black and
vertically challenged,” Mpho told the South African City Press
newspaper. “Ironically,
coming from a past where difference was the instrument of division, it
is our sameness that is now the cause of distress,” she said in a
reference to apartheid.
Senior local priest Bruce Jenneker told AFP that the Saldanha diocese had received Mpho’s licence with “sadness”.
“It was a great pity that it had to happen,” he added.
Source: AFP
