The National Cathedral in Washington is
set to hold a special prayer service for LGBT families on the day the
Supreme Court is expected to rule in two cases related to gay
marriage.
The 7PM service will serve to
celebrate, commiserate or anticipate the high court's rulings.
“The freedom to marry the person you
love is not only a constitutional right, it's a moral right. As a
straight man, my church and my government have given me those
rights,” the Rev. Gary Hall, the cathedral's dean, said in a
statement. “Those of us from churches and synagogues and temples
and mosques are saying: our faith communities are ready to extend
those rights to everyone. It's time for the government to do the
same.”
In January, Hall announced that the
cathedral would be among the first Episcopal congregations to
implement a new rite of marriage for gay members. However, the
106-year-old cathedral which has a storied history steeped in
presidential tradition is not expected to hold a same-sex ceremony
any time soon. The District of Columbia-based church only marries
church members and has a lengthy waiting list.