Since Jesus was single, single people should be just as valued as couples, Church of England says
WASHINGTON (TND) — While the Church of England says that couple and families should be honored, people who are single should be honored just as much, citing the fact that Jesus himself was single, the church says.
In a new report titled "Love Matters," the church'sArchbishops’ Commission on Families & Households detailed a few recommendations it had for families to "flourish."
The commission called upon institutions, such as governments, to "put ‘family’ at the centre of their thinking; and individuals – whether married, single, or in a couple – to commit to relationships of all kinds that lead to the flourishing of one another."
Church of England Archbishopof CanterburyJustin Welby, who is credited for establishing the commission alongside Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, said he hopes the report "encourages us to prioritise the hopes, needs and aspirations of families – in all their diversity," in a separate announcement.
Outlined in the report are five "ambitions" from the church that it says will "support and strengthen family life."
Among those five is the recommended ambition to "honour singleness and single person households" by "recognising that loving relationships matter to everyone."
The commission says that it recognized that "singleness" can be a "deliberate choice" and that an increasing number of people are living alone.
Sometimes the right partner has not been found, and sometimes separation, divorce or death has resulted in the loss of a partner," the report explains. "The Commission believes strongly that single people must be valued at the heart of our society.
Jesus’ own singleness should ensure that the Church of England celebrates singleness and does not regard it as lesser than living in a couple relationship," the report adds. "Loving relationships and being able to give and receive love matter to everyone. We have an amazing opportunity to reimagine a diverse society in which all families and loving relationships are valued and strengthened, promoting the stability that enables us all to thrive in a variety of family constellations, including being single.
Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, who is co-chair of the commission, said in a statement that the "reality of what ‘family’ looks like varies enormously across our society."
The report "reveals... that the shape of family changes through our lives," Butler added.
"It further shows that there is no one best shape, except that loving long term relationships are absolutely key for us all to flourish," Butler said in the statement. "Families matter. Relationships matter. Love matters."
The United Kingdom'sOffice for National Statistics says that the number of people who are living alone in the U.K. has increased by 8.3%over the last decade.
The United States Census Bureau says that, in 2021, 37 million adults in America were living alone, which is up from 33 million in 2011. That means that 15% of Americans reported they lived alone in 2021.