Pope Francis blesses during his Wednesday general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican
Pope Francis blesses during his Wednesday general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican August 20, 2014. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

In what seemed to be a direct blow to strict Catholic doctrine of marriage before sex, Pope Francis married 20 couples on Sunday who have lived together and no less already had children. The papal wedding took place in no less than in St. Peter's Basilica.

This "act" of defying strict Catholic doctrines followed the baptismal of a child in January by no less than the pope himself. The child's parents hadn't married in the Catholic church, only in a civil ceremony.

Pope Francis has caused yet another scandal, portal novusordowatch.org said.

The people behind the portal not only blasted the pontiff for "upsetting everything" but likewise criticized the Vatican on why they allowed the women to wear such indecent gowns during the ceremony.

"How the brides are dressed! Many of them are quite immodest (sleeveless or even strapless dresses, low-cut tops) - things that often occasion sin in men, especially in youths. But then again, Francis doesn't take sin all that seriously."

Cohabitation before marriage is contrary to the church's teaching. "The church urges that pastoral ministers help couples preparing for marriage by showing them the witness of Christian family life in such a way as they may regularize their situation before their wedding ceremony," Catholic News reported.

It said it is painful and sad to see, portal novusordowatch.org said, that no less than Pope Francis was the one guiding the flock to "make a mockery of Catholic moral."

It was Pope Francis' first wedding since becoming leader of the 1.3-billion strong Roman Catholic faith in March 2013. The ages of the newlyweds range from 25 to 56.

"The people getting married on Sunday are couples like many others," the diocese of Rome said in a statement. "Some already live together, some already have children."

One of the couples, known only as Gabriella and Guido, were more than happy to have their union blessed by the church.

"Because it would be a really painful sacrifice to be denied the Sacraments, the Communion and to be deprived of a live blessed by God, of a love that is blessed and experienced as it should be," Gabriella told Vatican Radio.

Gabriella was a single mother while her partner Guido had been previously married. That marriage had since been annulled by an ecclesiastical tribunal.

The last time a ceremony of its kind was held in the Vatican was in 2000 presided by Pope John Paul II.

While people may have lauded this latest act of the successor of Pope Emeritus Benedict, critics blasted how the church could have ever permitted such thing to happen.