Lesbian priest couple are among first gay blessings conducted by Church of England during Sunday services

 Lesbian priest couple are among first gay blessings conducted by Church of England during Sunday services today

• The shift has divided church members, with some feeling it is being taken too far

• A lesbian priest couple were among the first same-sex partnerships to be blessed in the Church of England Sunday services today.

  Known as prayers of love and faith, the blessings will be used as part of regular services from today after they were approved by the House of Bishops just days ago. 

  The shift has divided church members, with some welcoming the blessings as progress while other believe they have gone too far. Others feel the real change needed is marital recognition. 

• Photographs show same-sex priests Catherine Bond and Jane Pearce holding hands as they were blessed at St John the Baptist church in Felixstowe, Suffolk, earlier today. 

  In February, the church's General Synod - otherwise known as its Parliament - voted in favour of offering blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages, following a near-eight-hour debate across two days.

  The House of Bishops met online on Tuesday to confirm its earlier decision to commend the prayers for use in regular public worship such as Sunday Eucharist or Evensong, agreeing this should take effect from this weekend. The motion was passed by 24 votes to 11, with three abstentions.

  Suffolk: same-sex couple receives blessing at St John Baptist church

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  Catherine Bond (left) and Jane Pearce (right) following being blessed at St John the Baptist church in Felixstowe, Suffolk

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