'This is a fiasco': Barrister Daniel Matovu criticises Bishops' same-sex blessings proposals

"What I have witnessed regarding how the Bishops have handled this matter so far I'm afraid to say is a fiasco. This is a false debate, as the key document which we should have been debating is missing.
"The Bishops say this is about people. It is about much more than that. It is about the Word of God and about Jesus Christ the author and perfecter of our faith."
Barrister and lay General Synod member Daniel Matovu criticises the bishops' proposals to offer prayers of blessing to those in same-sex relationships.
Full transcript:
"What I have witnessed regarding how the Bishops have handled this matter so far I'm afraid to say is a fiasco. This is a false debate, as the key document which we should have been debating is missing.
"The Bishops say this is about people. It is about much more than that. It is about the Word of God and about Jesus Christ the author and perfecter of our faith. In 1 John 5:3, it says this is love for God to obey his commands.
"Where does the church get its doctrine on marriage from? It comes directly from God. In Genesis 2, God the Father instituted marriage as between a man and a woman. In Matthew 19:4-5, God the Son expressly endorsed that. And the Bishops have affirmed this is unchanged.
"Draft prayers were presented to us about two weeks or so ago. I have spoken to the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. He's told me that they were consulted on LLF but there's been insufficient time for them to be consulted on these draft prayers. Bishops seem to have forgotten that 60% of this chamber have not served before November 2021, so it's no good The Bishop of London saying to us there's been consultation since before 2017. Not with this synod. The bishops cannot see apparently that the draft prayers are out of sync with, inconsistent with, and undermine the doctrine of marriage as in canon B30. They should have gone to Specsavers. Bless them.
"The Bishop of London in answering questions about these draft prayers kept referring to the Pastoral Guidance. I asked her a simple question as to whether the Bishops were commending these to all same-sex couples, even those engaged in a sexual relation or only those who are celibate. She couldn't answer. She said I refer to the Pastoral Guidance. A lot of her answers were I refer to the pastoral guidance. The Bishops have failed to produce it. But luckily I have found a copy in my hotel lobby. Here it is. You can get it from any good stationers. It's a blank sheet of paper. So, what we have on the one hand is the existing doctrine of the church based on the Holy Scriptures, on the other hand a blank piece of paper.
"I suggest that the only way in which the Bishops can restore trust and credibility with General Synod is to do it properly under B2."