15th January, 2016
The second largest Protestant church in Germany is scheduled to vote Friday on whether or not to permit same-sex wedding in its churches.
The synod of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland region is expected to hold a debate before voting on making the change to the church’s rules at 1:00 p.m. (1200 GMT).
It requires two-thirds majority of the 200 members eligible to vote.
Germany’s official Protestant Church (EKD), is divided into regional churches by federal state.
There is no unified position on same-sex marriage.
The Protestant Church in the state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, had registered same-sex marriages for a long time, while in Berlin-Brandenburg they plan to introduce them in the spring.
In other states, the Protestant Church blesses same-sex unions, but does not offer wedding ceremonies.