Pope Francis condemned the “hypocrisy” of the people criticizing LGBTQ blessings following his decision to allow the blessing of same-sex couples.

The Holy Father earlier announced the possibility of LGBTQ blessings last December and was authorized through the document Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), but it was opposed by African bishops.

"Nobody gets scandalised if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very grave sin. But they get scandalised if I give them to a homosexual," the Pope told the Italian Catholic magazine Credere via Reuters.

"This is hypocrisy," he added.

According to the same Reuters report, the Holy Father made it one of his missions for the Catholic Church to be “more welcoming and less judgmental.”

Pope Francis earlier said that the LGBTQ blessings was not the same as Church approval for a union but for the persons themselves.

"When a couple comes forward spontaneously to ask for them, one does not bless the union, but simply the people who together have requested it. Not the union, but the persons," he said.

This was stated in the Vatican document “Fiducia supplicans” where the blessing of same-sex couples should not give the impression of a marriage.

“[I]mplies a real development from what has been said about blessings up until now, reaching an understanding of the possibility of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage,” Cardinal Victor Fernandez said.