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ANALYSIS: Francis continues family-friendly reforms

Pope Francis has announced a simplification of the Catholic Church's annulment process
Pope Francis has announced a simplification of the Catholic Church's annulment process Pope Francis has announced a simplification of the Catholic Church's annulment process

TO the chagrin of some but the delight of others, Pope Francis has put reform firmly at the heart of his papacy from day one.

Yesterday's announcement that the annulment process for Catholics is to be simplified is one of the most eye-catching changes yet, an outworking of his desire for the Church to be family-centred and pastorally motivated.

It comes ahead of a visit to the United States and bookends a busy seven-day period which started when Francis addressed another hot potato by saying that all priests will have the authority to forgive the Catholic sin of abortion.

This week he has also continued his campaign against what he has called the "globalisation of indifference" with another passionate plea of support for families fleeing conflict.

Tying all this together is the Jubilee Year of Mercy to be celebrated by the Catholic Church from December 8.

Francis has extended the authority to absolve the sin of abortion to all priests for the duration of the Jubilee Year, while offering shelter to a refugee family would be a "concrete act of preparation", he said. The new annulment process also comes into force on December 8.

The Pope has said the special celebration should emphasise that the "Church is the house where everyone is welcomed and no-one is rejected... The greater the sin, the greater the love that must be shown by the Church to those who repent".

The Year of Mercy will be prefaced by a major Synod of Bishops scheduled for the Vatican next month - a follow-up to a similar meeting last year - which will further examine the challenges facing the contemporary family - among them abortion, annulments and divorce - and how the Church should pastorally respond.

In addressing annulments, Francis may have neatly neutered the powerful arguments around the status of divorced and remarried Catholics that could have dominated the Synod.

This should free it to address a wider range of issues - and perhaps help the Church to become a more welcoming community, in the mould of its reforming Pope.