Pope Francis appears to be on a mission to bend the rigid rules of the Catholic church, to the whims of modernization.

The pope announced new procedures on Tuesday to make it easier for Roman Catholics to obtain marriage annulments, The New York Times reports.

Under the new rules, the process will be much faster for cases in which a couple is not contesting the annulment as opposed to the previous process, which many Catholics view as too cumbersome, complicated and expensive.

Such cases had required two separate judgments from a diocesan tribunal.

Here’s how the new method works- The process, overseen by local bishops, will require only one judgment.

Moreover, the new rules require that the hearing process be held within 30 days of application, eliminating a longer waiting period.

The pope also instructed Catholic bishops to be more welcoming to divorced or separated Catholics “who have abandoned the church.”

Local dioceses will be asked to establish commissions to reach out to couples seeking annulments.

Ada Igboanugo