Ahead of its General Synod meeting, leaders of the Church of England make a formal apology for "the pain, hostility, exclusion and rejection that LGBTQI people have experienced within the church" and announce that same-sex couples will now be able to receive church blessings for the first time. The move does not amount to church-sanctioned gay marriage, which LGBTQI activists have long called for. Many churches in the worldwide Anglican Communion are opposed to any formal endorsement of same-sex relationships, particularly in the global south. While the Archbishop of Canterbury says he will refrain from using these blessings himself, in order to maintain his role linking the different branches of the church, he says this remains "a moment of joy and celebration", and that any split in the church over the matter would "go straight against the prayer and command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES