Pope Francis has said African bishops were a "special case" regarding their opposition to his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples.

But he remained confident that gradually everyone will be reassured by the Church's declaration.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper, the Pope said African church leaders and their supporters saw homosexuality from a cultural point of view as "something bad".

He said last month's new document, Fiducia Supplicans, was intended "to include and not divide".

Pope Francis said he was not concerned about conservatives breaking away from the Catholic Church due to his reforms, saying that talk of a schism was led by what he called "small ideological groups".