Pope Francis is a different kind of pope
Pope Francis will announce reformed procedures for the annulment of marriages in the Catholic church, the Vatican announced Monday. He is scheduled to release two decrees—titled Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus and Mitis et Misericors Iesus, Latin for “The Gentle Judge, The Lord Jesus” and “The Meek and Merciful Jesus”—at a midday press conference in Rome Tuesday. Since the Catholic church holds that marriage is a lifelong commitment, those wishing to end a marriage must receive a judgement from a church tribunal that the marriage was an invalid contract from the beginning. There are various reasons that might justify an annulment, such as one spouse not wanting children. The annulment process has been criticized by some for being slow and costly—it can take 12 to 18 months or longer and cost $200 to $1,000 in the U.S.—impeding those who wish to enter into a new marriage or those who cannot afford the expense.
Pope Francis has previously expressed his desire to change the annulment process and make it free to all those who seek it. “This is a point I want to emphasize: the sacraments are free,” he said in January. In November of 2014, he said: …