It has been announced by the Bishop of London that an investigation will take place into the allowing and conducting of a gay wedding in St Bartholomew’s church in London.

The wedding, which was performed by Dr Martin Dudley, saw fellow priests Rev Peter Cowell and Rev Dr David Lord ‘tie the knot’.

Bishop Rt Rev Richard Chartes said through statement “Services of public blessings for civil partnerships are not authorised in the Church of England or the Diocese of London.

“I will be asking the Archdeacon of London to investigate what took place at the church of St Bartholomew the Great.”

In an interview with British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Dr Dudley said that he was not worried about the investigation, and that ‘rules’ are only guidelines.

“This was a personal response to someone who is a friend. Peter and I have known each other for many years and given that this was two priests entering into a civil partnership there was a question of what kind of ceremony to hold.

“They wanted to go much further than I wanted but we worked on a text between us that was appropriate and expressed their sense of commitment. This was new territory because no one else has produced a text of this kind but I am quite clear this was not a marriage ceremony.”

Many believe that the timing of the marriage announcement was deliberate, with nearly three hundred bishops preparing to meet later this week to discuss the future of the Anglican Church.

Tags: GLBT Europe