The British Government said yesterday it was proposing to allow same-sex couples to marry in civil ceremonies, but will ban the established Churches of England and Wales from conducting ceremonies.
Setting out the plans, Culture Minister Maria Miller told Parliament the Church of England and its equivalent in Wales had expressed strong opposition to gay marriage.
Therefore the Government will “explicitly state” that it will be illegal for those churches to marry same-sex couples.
But the new law will allow other religious institutions to “opt-in” to offer gay marriage ceremonies.
While Roman Catholics had joined the established churches in expressing opposition to same-sex marriage, other groups such as Quakers are in favour.
Miller said that a “quadruple legal lock” would be included so that religious institutions that did not want to offer gay marriages would not be forced to do so through an intervention on the basis of the European Convention on Human Rights.
“I feel strongly that, if a couple wish to show their love and commitment to each other, the State should not stand in their way,” Miller said.
“European law already puts religious freedom beyond doubt, and we will go even further by bringing in an additional ‘quadruple legal lock’.
“But, it is also a key aspect of religious freedom that those bodies who want to opt-in should be able to do so.”
The plans, which are to be introduced before the next election, have divided Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party.
Around 40 per cent of Conservative lawmakers are thought to oppose the idea or intend to abstain in a parliamentary vote until they have seen more details of the legislation.
Cameron himself has said he will vote in favour of the proposals, but lawmakers will have a ‘free’ vote meaning they will not have to follow a party line.
Gay couples have had the right to enter into a civil partnership since a 2004 Act but campaigners hailed the Government’s announcement as a step towards full equality with heterosexual couples.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay and lesbian charity Stonewall, said: “We’re delighted about the Government’s statement today and welcome the promise to legislate for equal marriage as warmly as on the three previous occasions that this announcement has been made.
“We’re particularly pleased that ministers have been persuaded to extend their original proposal in order to permit same-sex marriages for those religious denominations that wish to hold them.”