Pope Francis told an Italian daily that he understands where African bishops are coming from in their opposition to a new Vatican policy that authorizes same-sex blessings.

"Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups," Francis told Italian newspaper La Stampa in an interview published Monday, adding: "A special case are Africans: for them, homosexuality is something 'bad' from a cultural point of view, they don't tolerate it."

"But in general, I trust that gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the 'Fiducia Supplicans' declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include, not divide," he said referring to the new Vatican policy.

Francis said he was not concerned about the risk of conservatives breaking away from the Catholic Church due to the declaration, saying that talk of a schism is always led by "small groups." "We must leave them to it and move on... and look forward," he said.

What to know about the Vatican policy

Francis made a historic change to Vatican policy last month, allowing priests to bless same-sex couples seeking God’s grace in their lives. But the policy stresses that priests may not bless same-sex relationships themselves.

It also reaffirms the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman and that same-sex blessings should not be confused with the rites and rituals of a wedding.

Francis told La Stampa that when the blessings are given, priests should "naturally take into account the context, the sensitivities, the places where one lives, and the most appropriate ways to do it".

Why the declaration is controversial in Africa

The declaration has caused a stir within the Catholic Church, with significant pushback from bishops in Africa, home to 265 million Catholics — or nearly a quarter of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

Many of those Catholics live and their churches work in societies where homosexuality is condemned and outlawed.

According to Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns for rights for LGBT+ people, 31 out of 54 countries have laws criminalizing homosexuality, which is more than any other continent.

In January, the Catholic bishops of Africa and Madagascar issued a unified statement refusing to follow the new policy and asserting that such unions are “contrary to the will of God.”

The statement, signed by Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo on behalf of the symposium of African national bishops conferences, marked the closest thing to a continent-wide dissent from the declaration.

rm/rc (Reuters, AP, EFE)