The Vatican, who has said gay people may have ‘gifts and qualities’ to offer the Catholic Church, may have already changed one bigoted view.

Nigerian Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama has flipped his position on the country’s anti-gay laws that punishes homosexuality, gay clubs and societies with up to 14 years in jail. 12 states in Nigeria that enforce Shari’a law punishes gay sex with death.

When it was signed into law, Kaigama described it as ‘courageous’ and ‘a right step in the right direction’.

But now, he has said the Nigerian church will defend any LGBTI person who is being harassed, punished or jailed for just being who they are.

‘We are not supporting the criminalization of people with different sexual orientations,’ he said, according to The Tablet.

We would defend any person with homosexual orientation who is being harassed, who is being imprisoned, who is being punished.’

He added: ‘The Government may want to punish them – we don’t. In fact we will tell the Government to stop punishing those with different orientations.’

Kaigama said now only supports the part of the law that expressly bans same-sex marriage.