Pope Benedict XVI announced plans to allow provisions that would accept groups of former Anglicans who wish to convert to the Roman Catholic Church, according to a statement from the Vatican.

Retired Bishop Peter Selby, says anti-gay sentiment should not set the tone of Anglican debate and that the Archbishop of Canterbury should speak up for more than just holding church institutions together.

The Anglican Communion's first openly gay bishop has received a standing ovation at the Greenbelt festival in Cheltenham. Gene Robinson's call for a sexual ethic based on integrity and trust was greeted with prolonged applause.

The Stonewall riots in June 1969 in New York helped to transform society in the USA and beyond, says Savi Hensman. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church in July 2009 is far more sedate, but the issues facing Christians of all traditions are profound.