Church minister hails ‘great news’ as gay couples get right to religious wedding ceremonies

The change in the law in Northern Ireland took effect earlier today.

A UK Government statement said: “The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 mean that from September 1 2020 officiants can be appointed to solemnise same-sex religious marriages, with the consent of their governing authority.

“The regulations also put in place protections so that religious bodies (and individual officiants) cannot be compelled by any means, including by the enforcement of a contract or a statutory or other legal requirement, to perform same-sex marriages or otherwise be involved in same-sex marriages.

“Equality law protections are also in place so that religious bodies and individual officiants will not unlawfully discriminate if they refuse to solemnise marriages because of the sexual orientation of the couple, and we have extended the protections to cover premises such as church halls and other buildings owned by (or on behalf of) a religious body, except where the premises are used solely or mainly for commercial purposes.”

Whilst Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Methodist and Catholic churches all reject gay marriage – although some individual ministers (particularly in Anglicanism) want to change this.

Same-sex marriage: Church of Ireland body declares gay people should be able to wed

One denomination which will allow gay religious marriages is the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, the most prominent congregation of which is probably All Souls in south Belfast.

Its minister Chris Hudson said this evening: “This is great news for couples who wish to celebrate their marriage in church, embraced by family, friends and the love of God.

“I have already been speaking to a number of couples who have been waiting for this day so they can finally have the church wedding that they have longed for. Autumn wedding bells will be ringing in Belfast.

“Until now, this legal right has been denied to churches, ministers like me, and same-sex couples of faith in Northern Ireland.

“I want to pay tribute to the activists of Love Equality, Amnesty International and the LGBT community, who have led such a positive, love-filled campaign and ensured that no-one would be left behind in the fight for equal rights for all.”

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