海角大神

In what some Irish officials are calling a , lawmakers in Ireland passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage Thursday, now only requiring the signature of President Michael Higgins to be set into law.

Clearance of the bill comes months after a referendum聽in May, when nearly two-thirds of Irish voters聽passed the motion in the world鈥檚 first such ballot.

Officials say that same-sex weddings will be able to start taking place as early as , reports The Irish Independent.

鈥淭oday is a joyous day,鈥欌�� said Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, calling the occasion a .

But while the country celebrates, Independent Senator David Norris said the work does not end in Ireland.

鈥淲e can relax here but we can鈥檛 relax for our brothers and sisters throughout the world,鈥� he told the .

Ireland, 鈥渁 country where some 85 percent of the population identify as Roman Catholic, and where the church was an unassailable institution for decades,鈥� stunned the international community when it overwhelmingly voted 鈥測es鈥� this summer, reported 海角大神鈥檚 Jason Walsh.

The nation鈥檚 integrated economy led to a more 鈥測oung, upbeat, and cosmopolitan鈥� country that, with its latest vote, will ultimately bring constitutional change, he wrote.

The path may not be as simple with its international neighbors.

Of the 20 countries around the world that have legalized gay marriage, are in Europe, according to the Pew Research Center. These include Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, and all of Scandinavia. Ireland鈥檚 decision to legalize this year makes it the 14th European nation to do so.

鈥淵et two of the biggest Western European states 鈥� Germany and Italy 鈥� do not allow gays and lesbians to wed,鈥� reports the think tank. 鈥淎nd all Central and Eastern European countries continue to ban gay marriage.鈥�

Such bans are not always due to popular opposition. Germany, for example, has allowed civil unions for gays and lesbians since 2001, granting all the same rights of marriage with exception to adoption rights and the use of some reproductive technology.

Though three-quarters of Germans say they are in favor of legalization, Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly stated that gay marriage is , according to Reuters.

鈥淲e have already accomplished a lot," Chancellor Merkel in a July interview. 鈥淭wenty-five years ago, many would not even dare to admit that they were gay or lesbian.鈥�

On the other hand, Italy major Western European country not permitting civil partnerships or gay marriage. The government came under pressure in July, when a European court ruled that it was violating human rights by failing to offer couples legal protection, the BBC reported.

While some cities, including Rome and Milan, have , the agenda of conservative Catholics remains influential, according to The Financial Times.

The shifting message of today鈥檚 religious conservatives may be able to offer some middle ground. Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Church are asserting a softer position on gay marriage than ever before, The Associated Press reports.

And 鈥渨hile a public debate rages,鈥� writes the Monitor鈥檚 Mary Beth McCauley, 鈥渋ndividual believers are pursuing their faith in their own way.鈥澛�