The Church of England will be legally prevented from carrying out same-sex marriage under the UK Government’s plans 
to redefine the institution.
The move is being made to appease senior Anglicans and Tory MPs, according to the Times.
The Government announced the special protection as they published legislation to allow for same-sex marriage which could be enacted as soon as 2014.
The legislation is designed to prevent legal challenges to Churches which will not carry out same-sex marriages.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller told the House of Commons that the legislation would put the protection of religious belief “beyond doubt”.
However many clergy still fear that they could be forced to carry out same-sex marriages and their concerns are shared by a large number of Tory MPs, who have accused ministers of “arrogance and intolerance” and of imposing same-sex marriage on the country.
Conservative MPs are being given a free vote on the issue.
The legislation is set to contain four safeguards to protect religious freedom:
· The law will explicitly state that neither religious organisations nor individual ministers will be forced to celebrate same-sex marriages
· The 2010 Equalities Act will be altered to ensure that no claims of discrimination can be brought against religious organisations or ministers
· Only religious organisations whose central body has decided to “opt in” to same-sex marriage will be allowed to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies
· The Church of England will be legally prohibited from carrying out same-sex weddings. To change this, it would have to change its Canon Law and the primary legislation.
Despite this, many religious leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, and a significant number of Tory MPs are concerned that there could be a challenge brought before the European Court of Human Rights.
However, Helen Grant, Minister for Equalities, has said that she is confident that any such litigation would fail.
Mrs Miller said that she was absolutely clear that no Church or other religious organisation would be forced to conduct same-sex marriages. “I would not bring in a Bill which would allow that,” she said.
It has also emerged that a leading Government minister has raised concerns about “unintended consequences” if same-sex marriage is forced into law – in a letter leaked to a national newspaper.
Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, wrote to Mrs Miller, in a letter leaked to the Daily Mail, raising the issue of how schools will be protected as well as questions surrounding religious liberty.
She laid out concerns about protecting religious freedom, and what “consideration has been given to the teaching of equal marriage in schools”.