The synod will allow gays and lesbians to get a full wedding ceremony in church by preparing a new wedding liturgy for same-sex weddings. But priests and church employees will be allowed to opt out.
On Monday the Synod finally decided that gays and lesbians will be allowed to marry in church. The new liturgy will be addition to the current marriage liturgy that apply to heterosexual couples, and it and will be adopted at the General Synod next year.
The issue of homosexuality has in the past couple of decades haunted a divided Church of Norway. The issue was discussed in two rounds at the Synod in Trondheim.
In the committee that prepared the matter during the meeting, a minority of 8 out of 23 members opposed the new liturgy.
When the matter came up for final vote on Monday a majority of 88 out of the 115 delegates at the Synod voted for the new liturgy. 32 delegates voted for the minority proposal which opposed the new liturgy.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today