A moving sermon by a Church of England priest, in which he thanks God for the love LGBTQ+ bring into the world, has left viewers “weeping”.

The 15-minute sermon by The Very Reverend Dr Mark Oakley, the Dean of Southwark Cathedral in London, reflected on the recent news that the House of Bishops would be halting plans to allow gay couples to receive dedicated blessings, and that a ban on priests entering same-sex marriages would be extended.

Oakley, 57, who is gay, began his sermon by suggesting the news had made him want to scream.

“The first bit of news was that the House of Bishops has decided to put through the proposal that stand alone services of blessing for same-sex couples should go through a process that won’t agree to it, and that clergy will continue to be barred from entering a civil marriage, with a same-sex partner,” he said.

“If they do, they are likely to lose their licence and not get a new appointment… Nor will those who are gay and married be accepted for ordination training. Of course, add to this that we are not allowed to marry same-sex couples here in church, and no bishop has ever been transparently appointed in a civil partnership, it is hard not to conclude that the church of England is still homophobic and does not believe in the equality of love.”

He cited a an article by gay Dean of Canterbury David Monteith in response to the news, saying that it “multiplies the shame that LGBTQ people can be made to feel” and adds to a feeling of “invisibility” in the church.

Oakley then cited St. Paul’s letter to the Romans in the Bible’s New Testament, which indicated that homosexuality is unnatural.

“But this isn’t me. It wasn’t like that at all. I didn’t choose anything. I discovered who I was, and it wasn’t easy,” Oakley said.

“I knew people beat up people like me. The government was telling people not to teach children about people like me. The newspapers were naming people like me. The church was excluding people like me if they were honest. They said Paul said I was unnatural and sinful, and I read, and I still read, and I don’t see myself nor anyone I know like me. I don’t recognise my heart there, my need to be loved, and to love. My longing not to spend my life alone or afraid.”

The priest then tearfully recounted his story of coming out to his grandmother when he was 18, in which she told him: “I’ve only been worried about one thing, Mark… I’ve just worried you would never feel able to tell me”.

He said that during his time in the church ministry, some had “preferred” him to stay silent on his sexuality, but his grandmother taught him otherwise.

“I came to see that my grandmother’s response was the response of love and therefore it is also the response of God. God wants us to share with him who we really are, and to know that God’s love only overflows and never diminishes when we dare to do this,” he said.

He urged that Southwark Cathedral would continue to welcome and “rejoice in offering prayers” to those in same-sex relationships, adding: “We look forward to the day when we can offer them equality with everyone else.”

“Paul was not in the 21st century,” he continued. “He would never meet men or women who set home up together, cooked with each other, went on holiday together, were there with a light on when they got home, helping to soothe the past day. Caring for each other, growing old together, being there for better or worse, and feeling painful absence in their life when death separated them.”

He said he liked to imagine that Paul would today see love between LGBTQ+ people “equally and as miraculously” as heterosexual love, “because where love is, God is too.”

“I’d want him to know that because of God, love wins. No matter what can be said or done to control or stop it, no matter how fancy the theology is to disguise a prejudice, and love comes in many shapes and many sizes and for that and for all the diversity of all the people in the church and beyond, thanks be to God.

“Thank you God, for all the love they bring into this world. That I will always recognise, and so please God, will Southwark Cathedral.”

The sermon received a rapturous response and a standing ovation from those in the church, while online, Reverend Mark Oakley has been praised for his “beautiful” words.

“Love wins. Always. I’ve never been so moved by a sermon, thank you Mark and Southwark Cathedral,” wrote one person on social media.

“I wept and wept as I watched this. Dean Oakley, you have preached the Gospel of Our Lord more eloquently than I have ever heard,” agreed a second.

“Thank you Mark for your beautiful sermon which brought tears to my eyes but also filled me with hope that with outspoken leaders in the church like you and David Monteith, one day all will be well,” another wrote.

“Thank you for persevering and staying with us despite the heartache and pain.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

The post Gay priest’s emotional sermon receives standing ovation: ‘I wept as I watched this’ appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.