The Church of England has issued a report on marriage, same-sex marriage and same-sex civil partnerships.

Following the fine Anglican tradition of definitiveness aversion, it is sufficiently polysemous to allow some to conclude that the CofE rejects the blessing of same sex couples, others to conclude that same sex couples should be given “pastoral accommodations”, “recognition” and “compassionate attention” (in North America, dioceses called that a “generous pastoral response” shortly before launching into same sex blessings) and Giles Fraser to say:

Dr Giles Fraser, a former Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral who is now priest-in-charge of a South London church, said: ‘You cannot escape what is down in this document in black and white.

‘This is saying you can bless same-sex relationships as long as you don’t say what you are doing. It is a wink to people like me who want to go ahead.

‘It is coded language which says do it, but don’t advertise.’

And you thought Rowan Williams had left the building.