Pope Francis Gives Recongnition to Partners of Remarried Heads of States

Mar 08, 2016 04:06 PM EST

Pope Francis Visits The Synagogue of Rome

(Photo : Franco Origlia / Stringer) ROME, ITALY - JANUARY 17: Pope Francis greets leaders and members of the local Jewish community during his visit to the Rome's synagogue on January 17, 2016 in Rome, Italy. The visit marks the third time a pontiff has been invited to the synagogue, following on from the visit by Benedict XVI in January 2010 and the historic encounter of Pope John Paul II with former Rabbi Elio Toaff there in 1986. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

A new rule governing visits to Pope Francis by heads of state has been implemented by the Vatican since Feb. 27. The Pope has now began meeting Catholic leaders from different parts of the world with irregular marriage vows (annulled or divorced) together with their partners. Prior to the new rule, heads of state married to their spouses following either a divorce or an annulment are met by the Pope first. Their spouses will be met by the Pontiff later on, usually in a separate room.

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Vatican Insider (La Stampa) coordinator and reporter Andrea Tornielli reports that moving forward, spouses of national and world leaders will start getting the benefit of seeing the Pope together with their spouses during visits. They will also now be allowed to join in official photos with Pope Francis and will also be part of gift exchange ceremonies with the Holy See.

Pope Francis has been more welcoming of changes in the Catholic Church especially the ones he thinks are obsolete. In a report on Catholic Online in March 2015, writer Abigail James mentioned that according to Oscar Crespo, the Pontiff's long-time friend from Argentina, Pope Francis has plans of allowing priests to get married and of taking back the banishment set upon Catholic Church divorcees.

CNN reported last Sept. 2015 that the Pope also intended on making annulments and remarrying easier for Catholics. These above-stated reforms are part of the Pope's plan to get a more interactive and responsive congregation, intending to directly solve and deal with the needs of every Catholic laity in the world.

During a flight last month from Mexico, Pope Francis told journalists that, "The key phrase used by the synod, which I'll take up again, is 'integrate' in the life of the Church the wounded families, remarried families, etcetera."

The Catholic Church accounts has more than 1.25 billion members around the world and has a clergy of 5.100 bishops and 413,000 priests.

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