Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Communion worldwide has warned that if the Church of England accepted gay marriage worldwide, it could prove "catastrophic" for Christians in Nigeria and other African countries.On his four-nation tour of Africa earlier this year, the former oil executive wrote to the presidents of Nigeria and Uganda warning against the "victimisation or diminishment" of homosexuals.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the spiritual head of all Anglicans said encouraging gay marriage in Africa could potentially lead to massacres of Christians.
Gay marriage became legal in England and Wales on 29 March although the Church of England, the state church, is barred from performing same-sex marriages to provide it with an additional layer of legal protection.
"What we say here is heard around the world," Welby told LBC radio. "Why can't we just do it now? Because the impact of that on Christians in countries far from here, like South Sudan, like Pakistan, Nigeria and other places, would be absolutely catastrophic, and we have to love them as much as we love the people who are here."
