Europe News
Denmark to allow same-sex weddings in church
Nov 23, 2011, 10:55 GMT
Copenhagen - The Danish government said on Wednesday it wants to change the country's marriage laws to allow gay couples to have full wedding ceremonies in church.
In 1989, Denmark became the first country to allow civil marriage for same-sex couples. The state Lutheran Church, to which 80 percent of Denmark's 5.6 million citizens belong, has been offering short blessing ceremonies for gay couples at the end of the regular mass, despite opposition from some clergymen.
The government plans to introduce the amendment to the marriage law early next year.
'The first same-sex weddings will hopefully become reality in spring 2012,' Danish news websites quoted Church Minister Manu Sareen as saying.
However, according to Sareen, Danish clergy would keep the right to refuse to wed gay couples.
