Gay marriage on verge of legislation in Canada

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Canadian church leaders are divided on whether the legalizing of same-sex marriage will force unwilling clergy to perform weddings for homosexual couples. United and Anglican church officials who support same-sex blessings are confident the federal government’s historic decision to allow gays and lesbians to marry will not lead to clergy having to do anything against their religious conscience.

The federal Liberal government announced in June it will not apeal recent court rulings in Ontario, B.C., and Quebec that had declared banning gay marriages unconstitutional. Ottawa promised to immediately introduce legislation permitting same-sex marriage, making Canada only the third country in the world to do so, along with Belgium and the Netherlands. In an attempt to reassure Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and other religions, Prime Minister Jean Chretien stressed, “We will be proposing legislation that will protect the right of churches and religious organizations to sanctify marriage as they define it.”