Scottish archbishop foresees need for two separate wedding ceremonies, secular and religious
September 30, 2013
Catholics in Scotland may need two marriage ceremonies—one secular, one religious—if a law recognizing same-sex marriage is enacted, the newly installed Archbishop of Edinburgh has said.
Archbishop Leo Cushley told an interviewer that it is “not impossible to imagine” a situation in Scotland similar to that in France, where Catholic couples have one ceremony at a town hall and another completely separate church wedding. “We would always bless Christian marriages,” the archbishop said. “It’s whether or not we would bless them in conjunction with the state.”
Scottish law currently allows for a Catholic priest to act as an “authorized person,” witnessing a marriage for the state. Priests may no longer be able to serve in that role if government agents are expected to officiate at same-sex unions.
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