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Church of England bars Desmond Tutu's daughter from leading funeral

Mpho Tutu stopped from officiating her godfather's funeral due to her same-sex marriage

Reverend Mpho Tutu van Furth, daughter of the late Desmond Tutu, is an Anglican priest and also in a same-sex marriage.聽For this reason she was stopped by the Church of England from officiating her godfather's funeral in Shropshire, in the west of England.聽

The Diocese of Hereford said it was "a difficult situation". The Church of England does not permit its clergy to be in a same-sex marriage because its official teaching is that marriage is only between one man and one woman.

However, its sister Anglican church in the US, The Episcopal Church, does allow clergy to enter into gay marriages.

"Advice was given in line with the House of Bishops current guidance on same-sex marriage," a statement from the Diocese of Hereford said.

Tutu spoke to Newshour: "I felt hurt, for myself, for Martin's daughters, and really sad for the church because it just seems like an unnecessary... lack of compassion in a time of grief."

(Photo: Reverend Mpho Tutu and her wife, Professor Marceline Furth. Credit: Lerato Maduna via Getty Images)

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