Gay marriage and religion

'My son calls it marriage,' says Martin Reynolds, an Anglican priest in Wales and spokesman for the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, who recently had a CP ceremony. 'It is terribly difficult to say we are now "civilly partnered". My partner prefers to say, "This is my CP". I don't hear people using the words "husband" or "wife", but I do hear the word "spouse", which is the word we suggested to the government during the consultation process. I think the matter has been led by the media. Newspapers need brief headlines. They are not going to say "Elton John civil partners" when "weds" will do.'

He adds that some religious denominations are embracing CPs. 'The United Reformed Church in Cardiff is making a huge business out of it; Anglican clergy I know who've had a full blessing service have all gone there. Some Methodist churches are comfortable with it. Some Anglican churches are as well, although in those it is usually described as "a service of private prayer" to fit in with the bishops' rules. We also have Roman Catholic priests on our books who are prepared to do these services, but they tend to be extremely discreet. They will do them in church buildings, but not with 100 people present.'

One of the first to register her partnership was Debbie Gaston, a lesbian minister at the Metropolitan Community Church, with a congregation mainly of gay and lesbian people in Brighton. She wed her long-time girlfriend, Elaine Cook. They had been Baptists originally.

One of the latest to date was Dr Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans, who is the Church's most senior openly gay priest. His appointment to be Bishop of Reading was blocked after evangelicals campaigned against him. In August he tied the knot with the Rev Grant Holmes, another Anglican priest. They have also been together for many years.

The opposition to gay marriage and homosexual practice from all the Churches' orthodox wings is unlikely to abate. But neither is the demand for gay blessings, nor the supply of clergy prepared to carry them out.

Ruth Gledhill is Religion Correspondent of The Times. Read her online blog, Articles of Faith here