[JURIST] Despite being voted down in the Senate [JURIST report], the Spanish parliament on Thursday passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive] and allowing same-sex couples to adopt and inherit each other's property. Read the text of the legislation [PDF, in Spanish]. Spain now joins the Netherlands and Belgium as the only countries to recognize gay marriages. The Canadian House of Commons approved them on Tuesday [JURIST report], with full legal status to follow in July after the Canadian Senate gives its anticpated approval. The Spanish Senate serves an advisory function only, with the Congress of Deputies [official website, English version] having the final say. The 350-member body voted 187-147 to approve, despite protests from the Roman Catholic Church [JURIST rpeort], which officially endorsed protests against the Spanish government [JURIST report] for the first time in 20 years. Reuters has more. From Madrid, El Mundo provides local coverage in Spanish.