George Carey, archbishop of Canterbury, told the BBC that the church should not «muddy the waters» over the nature of marriage. «Marriage is a relationship between man and a woman,» he told the «Breakfast with Frost» program. «I don´t think it actually helps to confuse terms.»
He went on: «People can have deep friendship, and call it friendship, but we don´t have to muddy the waters in terms of calling it marriage. So let´s be clear about the language we use.»
Carey was asked whether he could ever envisage his post being filled by a woman or by a homosexual.
He said a female archbishop of Canterbury was a possibility, depending on the outcome of the deliberations of a working group examining the issue. But he acknowledged the church was still «grappling» with the homosexuality issue.
Non-practicing homosexuals are allowed in the priesthood, he said, but the church «draws a line at practicing homosexuals because the church has a clear ruling on what kind of lifestyle we require in the ordained ministry.»
