THE Archbishop of Glasgow has warned that people morally opposed to legalising same-sex marriage would be in an "unlawful" position and could lose their jobs because of their views.

Mario Conti claimed there was a significant number of Scots who were opposed to the change in the law and who would continue to believe it was wrong even if MSPs passed new legislation.

Archbishop Conti’s comments, in a letter to The Herald, were made as Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon met the Bishop of Paisley, Philip Tartaglia, in Edinburgh yesterday to discuss the proposed legislation.

Archbishop Conti said: “We don’t know where the majority of Scots actually stand with regard to the Scottish Government’s mind to redefine marriage to include same-sex partnerships.

“What we do know is there is a hugely significant number of Scots who are not only opposed to this change for very sound reasons but who would, even after such a change, continue to hold that there cannot be a moral equivalence between the two forms of union.

“A change in the law will effectively render such people in a sense unlawful, vulnerable to accusations of discrimination, and in danger in some circumstances, of losing their jobs.”

Archbishop Conti’s letter follows comments by Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart at the weekend when he told a fringe meeting at the SNP conference that the controversial law change would happen, even though it is still only at its consultation stage.

After the meeting with Bishop Tartaglia, Ms Sturgeon said: “When I launched the consultation, I made clear that in addition to the written responses, we intended to meet a wide range of key organisations, including churches and faith groups.

“I also made clear that while Ministers tend towards the initial view that same-sex marriage should be introduced, that faith groups and their celebrants should not be obliged to solemnise same-sex marriages.”

Catholic church spokesman John Deighan said Bishop Tartaglia was “forthright in his assertion that proposals to legislate for same-sex marriage, would be harmful to society and to the Government”.