This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A Church of England official has confirmed he sees no sin in sexual immorality.

The verdict comes from Stephen Cottrell, archbishop of York, during an interview on BBC Radio Four’s programming.

Christian Concern documented the comments, which came after the church officially said it would not allow “gay marriage” but that it would recognize “blessings” for same-sex couples.

Christian Concern reported, “The move is a landmark moment, confirming the CofE’s departure from its own biblical teaching on human sexuality which states that marriage is ‘in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death they do part, of one man with one woman.'”

When challenged by interviewer William Crawley on whether the church was “sitting on the fence” on the issue of same-sex “marriage,” Cottrell said, “Well, that’s not how I see it, no. I see it as a way of holding together a church that doesn’t agree on this issue and it takes us to a place where LGBTIQ+ people, people entering into same-sex marriages, and people in civil partnerships can come to the Church of England and those relationships and marriages can be acknowledged and celebrated. People can receive God’s blessing, and that’s a good thing. Yes, of course, there are people who want more, but as we’ve just heard, there are people who want a great deal less. So yeah, I think it’s something that, yeah, I think it’s a new place that we’re in.

Crawley asked, then, whether the church still thinks “gay sex is sin.”

“Well, what we are saying is that physical and sexual intimacy belongs in committed, stable, faithful relationships, and therefore where we see a committed, stable, faithful relationship between two people of the same sex, we are now in a position where those people can be welcomed fully into the life of the church, on their terms,” Cottrell said. ”

Crawley pressed repeatedly on whether the church would then bless “sin.”

Cottrell said, “But well, that… that’s what I’m saying… we’re looking to focus on the good in relationships and we want people to live in good, stable, faithful relationships.”

The church’s own resolutions include one stating, “In view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage.”

It, therefore, “cannot advise the legitimizing or blessing of same-sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same-gender unions.”

Andrea Williams, member of the general synod for 10 years and chief executive of Christian Concern, said: “The comments from the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, on the BBC embody the compromised position of the Church of England on human sexuality.

“The role of the Archbishop of York is to lead in explaining God’s beautiful pattern for human life and relationships, not to preside over a convoluted process of compromise. Sadly, it has been a failure of leadership from the start by the Archbishop of Canterbury and York. For this, they will answer to God, and we must pray for them. It is not loving or kind to hide the truth from the culture.

“What we have needed for so long on these issues is spiritual leadership from the Church of England’s hierarchy. Sadly, however, what we have seen is a relentless and determined capitulation to the spirit of the age from the Archbishop of York, among others. The church and Christians are called to be distinct from the world around them and yet the Archbishop has shown he is ashamed of the clear teachings of Jesus Christ.”