•UK: Churches will be obliged to perform same-sex weddings, warn senior church leaders

June 12, 2012

Leaders in the Church of England have warned that, should marriage be redefined, churches will be forced to marry same-sex couples under equality laws, despite any statutory exemptions for religious bodies such as those promised by the Government.

In a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu argued that the Government’s proposals to extend marriage to same-sex couples “were not legally sound” and would create “open season” in the courts for legal challenges.

The leaders warned that, once same-sex marriage is legalised, homosexual couples will be entitled to exactly the same rights as heterosexual married couples under Human Rights legislation.

This means that the Government’s policy to restrict same-sex weddings to civil premises is likely to be successfully challenged in court. the rest

Church of England objects to gay marriage plan