Malta have passed its Marriage Equality Bill (formally titled the Marriage Bills and other Laws) into law, allowing homosexuals to get married in the conservative European country.
In a 66 to 1 vote, parliamentarians from both the ruling Labour Party and the center-right alliance opposition, National Force, agreed to replace the words "husband" and "wife" with the gender-neutral term "spouse."
The word "parent" will take the place of "mother" and "father," while the phrases "the person who gave birth" and "the other parent" will be used to describe lesbian couples who have children via medical processes.
The sole objecting member of parliament, Edwin Vassallo, described the "morally unacceptable" law as incompatible with his Catholic faith.
"A Christian politician cannot leave his conscience outside the door" of parliament, Vassallo said.
Gay marriage supporters celebrate outside Malta's parliament after the Marriage Equality Bill passed.
Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli, who brought the bill to parliament, said its intention was to "modernize the institution of marriage" in the traditionally conservative island nation of around 420,000 people.
Divorce was illegal in Malta until 2011 and it remains the only nation in the European Union (EU) that entirely bans abortions. Civil partnerships were only introduced in 2014; Malta also inherited laws against sodomy from colonial power Britain, revoking them in 1973, just a few years after the UK.