Divorcees whose former partners are still alive could be allowed to remarry in a full Anglican Church ceremony if recommendations published in a report yesterday are accepted by the Church of England's ruling body, the General Synod.
The proposals, by a working party led by the Bishop of Winchester, the Right Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, could pave the way for Prince Charles to marry Ms Camilla Parker Bowles in a full Church of England ceremony, even though her former husband, Andrew, is still alive.
The practice of remarriage in the Church of England already happens, and while the report is an attempt to formalise the arrangement while preserving the church's teaching that marriage is a lifelong commitment, it does not recommend that a second marriage in church should be allowed on demand.
It also includes restrictions ensuring clergy would not have to conduct marriage ceremonies against their conscience.
Under the new guidelines set out in Marriage in Church after Divorce, drawn up to ensure a consistent policy throughout the Church of England, clergy must first discuss with the couple the implications for children from the previous marriages and the amount of time that has passed since the previous marriages. Clergy must also consider how many times either partner has been married and whether the new relationship has had any effect on the breakdown of the previous marriage.
Any decision to allow remarriage would then be referred to the diocesan bishop before the ceremony could take place. Since Prince Charles and Ms Parker Bowles made their first public appearance together in London last January, the issue of whether the couple would marry has divided leading figures in the Church of England.
Some bishops see no constitutional bar to Prince Charles becoming Supreme Governor of the Church of England even if he marries Ms Parker Bowles. But the former bishop of Birmingham, the Right Rev Hugh Montefiore, has said the church's position on the sanctity of marriage "would be in trouble" if two divorced people were to marry.
The report will now be discussed by diocesan synods, which have been asked to report back to the House of Bishops by March 2001. The recommendations will be put to the General Synod at the end of 2001.
The Church of Ireland voted two years ago to allow divorced persons to remarry in church. The remarriage has to be approved by the bishop of the diocese.