Mpho Andrea Tutu Van Furth, the lesbian child of the late South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been banned from attending her godfather’s funeral.
Martin Kenyon, 92 years old, died last week. Mpho Andrea Tutu Van Furth, Anglican priest, was asked to preside at his funeral. The service was scheduled to take place in England on Thursday. The Church of England has ruled that Mpho Andrea van Furth can’t conduct the service as she is married to a man of the same gender.
Marceline Tutu Van Furth, Marceline’s wife, said that the church had told them that it accepted priests in same-sex relationships, but not if they were married, according to VOA.
Mpho Andrea Tutu Van Furth was ordained on March 31, 2003. The Church of England is a part of the global Anglican Communion. There are many views on LGBTQ+ issues. The U.S. Episcopal Church is more supportive of gay marriage and LGBTQ+ equality than other branches. Desmond Tutu, who was 90 when he died, was a major LGBTQ+ ally, and a leader of the fight against South Africa’s apartheid system racial inequalities, which ended in 1990s. He once stated, “I wouldn’t worship a God that is homophobic.”
Mpho Andrea Tutu Van Furth and Marceline Titu van furth were married in 2015. Mpho was informed that she had to give up her license in order to be able to preach in South African dioceses. Mpho is now able to fulfill her priestly duties in the Netherlands.
Marceline said that the treatment received by British clerics was disturbing. She said that she had to give her license in, and this is now the second time I know of. “Officially, there were small incidents, but she couldn’t do anything out of love for her father and family because she was married to the same man, and that is something that bothers me.”
Mpho had planned to speak at a gathering in her Godfather’s Garden on Thursday. However, she was not allowed in the church, as her wife stated.