The question of homosexual marriage has deeply marked the French religious landscape, especially within the Protestant Federation of France (FPF). This file offers a panorama of the main developments, internal debates and positions adopted by the major French Protestant churches on this subject, while presenting key figures to better understand their weight in society.
In 2012, the Protestant Federation of France officially opposed the opening of civil marriage to same -sex couples, invoking anthropological and symbolic reflection, while calling for tolerance and public debate. She recalls that, for Protestants, marriage is not a sacrament and falls under the legislator, not from the Church.
Despite this initial opposition, several FPF member churches have gradually opened the possibility of religiously blessing homosexual couples married civilly, each at its own pace and according to its own internal debates.
Evangelical Popular Mission of France : First French Protestant church to authorize, in 2011, the blessing of homosexual couples married civilly.
United Protestant Church of France (Epudf) : Resulting from the merger of Lutherans and Reformed in 2013, the EPUDF opened in 2015 the possibility for its pastors to bless the gay married couples, while leaving freedom of conscience to each pastor and parish. In 2021, she celebrated the first public blessing of a marriage of two lesbian pasteurs, marking a major symbolic stage.
Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine (Uepal) : After several years of reflection, Uepal authorized in 2019 the blessing of the same -sex married couples, with a conscience clause for pastors and rewarding parishes.
Opening to the blessing of homosexual couples has aroused lively debates within synods, certain members remaining attached to a traditional reading of biblical texts.
In all churches having opened the blessing, freedom of conscience is guaranteed for pastors and parishes, thus avoiding any uniform taxation of practice.
The United Protestant Church of France (EPUDF) has around 420 to 480 parishes, 1,000 places of worship, and between 400,000 and 500,000 people using its religious services, or about 20 to 25 % of French Protestants.
The Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine (Uepal) brings together around 250 parishes and 250,000 members, representing almost all of the historic Protestants in Alsace-Moselle and around 12 to 13 % of French Protestants.
In France, the number of people declared themselves Protestant, or 3.1 % of the population, is estimated at 1.5 to 2 million people.
The question of homosexual marriage continues to arouse significant debates in French Protestantism. If the Protestant Federation of France (FPF) expressed in 2012 its opposition to the opening of civil marriage to same -sex couples, several member churches, such as the United Protestant Church of France (EPUDF) and the Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine (UEPAL), have evolved towards greater opening by allowing the religious blessing of homosexual couples married civilly. This development was accompanied by internal debates and respect for the freedom of conscience of each pastor and parish, illustrating the diversity of positions within French Protestantism.
Theological arguments are based on different biblical readings. Some currents invoke texts like Leviticus 18:22 (“You will not sleep with a man as you sleep with a woman”) or 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 To defend a traditional vision of marriage. Others highlight reception, love and loyalty, citing for example 1 John 4: 7-8.
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