The Church of Ireland leader has defended the Anglican’s decision to BBC Radio Ulster

Last month the US Episcopal Church, which has welcomed gay members for years, decided to embrace equal marriage.

Last week, the Anglican Communion voted overwhelmingly to punish the US Episcopal Church for this decision.

After the vote, the Episcopal Church was banned from taking part in Anglican decision-making bodies, and stripped of some voting rights.

The official Anglican statement released states: “For a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”

Now the head of the Church of Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh Richard Clarke, has defended the Anglican’s sanctions.

He said to BBC Radio Ulster: “The language of the Primates Gathering and communiqué was not about sanctions but rather wanting to walk together and create safe distance in order to do so over the coming years.”

He added: “What I think I’d want to say about the statement is that people do need to read it very carefully rather than the headlines that some people have put on it.

“I’m not being cynical, but politically it has to be said that those who wanted massive sanctions – and we never used the word ‘sanctions’ – wanted to hype up what had happened…

“Those who wanted to, if you like, push – as they’re entitled to do – an agenda which is about gay marriage, I have to say wanted to say ‘look the Americans have been sanctioned, they’re being humiliated. The reality is they haven’t.”