Stockholm  - The general synod of the Church of Sweden Thursday voted to allow the church to wed same-sex couples.

The decision was effective November 1, according to the decision carried by a majority of the 251 delegates meeting in Uppsala, north-west of Stockholm.

The vote ended years of debate on the issue in the Church of Sweden, a Lutheran church.

Some 80 per cent of Sweden's 9 million people belong to the Church of Sweden, which was disestablished in 2000, receiving the same "faith community" designation as other faiths, such as the Pentecostal, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim.

Currently, 39 faith communities have the right to conduct legally-binding marriage ceremonies.

A broad majority in the Swedish parliament in April approved adoption of same-sex marriage legislation.

Six of the seven parties in parliament backed the proposal drafted by the Committee on Civil Affairs to introduce a gender- neutral marriage law.

Only the Christian Democrats, one of the four parties in the ruling centre-right coalition, opposed the move.

The new legislation took effect on May 1, and replaced the legislation approved in 1995 that allowed same-sex couples to form a union in Sweden via registered partnership.

Couples who have registered partnership can keep that status or amend it by an application to the authorities or marry. (dpa)