While Anglicans and Episcopalians sweat it out, Swedish Lutherans have a bet both ways

We all know by now that the Episcopalian Bishops have rejected the recommendations of the Primates Tanzanian meeting for a Pastoral Solution to the crisis of communion in the Anglican Church.

In the meantime, the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden has declared that they will not comply with a government commission recommendation to recognise same-sex marriages. Well good for you guys, you might say.

BUT read the fine print: Archbishop Anders Wejryd went on to say that

The Church of Sweden of course will continue to give its blessing to same sex couples in partnerships, as we have done for some time. Same sex couples in committed, faithful relationships are entitled to God's blessing.

I should point out to non-Lutheran readers that (despite the pretensions of the Lutheran World Federation) there is no such thing as a world wide Lutheran "communion" to fall apart over this matter (as in the Anglican case), nevertheless, the "North-South" thing could hit the LWF as hard as it has hit the Anglican communion because the growth Lutheran churches are all African and Asian. The General Secretary of the LWF himself is an African (but not in the Bishop Peter Ankola mould).