France’s top court ruled Friday that French mayors cannot refuse to officiate same-sex marriages based on their personal, moral or religious beliefs.

The Constitutional Council ruled that the same-sex marriage law does not infringe on the mayors’ “freedom of conscience” and therefore should be applied.

A group of seven mayors had filed an appeal with the Constitutional Council on September 18 stating their opposition to conducting same-sex marriage.

A bill allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt was passed earlier this year by the French parliament and signed into law by President Francois Hollande.

A growing number of countries around the world now allow same-sex marriage, the majority of them in Europe.