Vatican City, Mar 12, 2016 / 08:08 am
With an eye toward divorced-and-remarried Catholics, Pope Francis has recently changed protocol for heads of state who are visiting the Pope at the Vatican.
Catholic heads of state who are in an irregular marital situation may now take part in an official visit to the Pope as a couple, accompanied by their irregular spouse.
The Pope made the change in February. By chance, the first to benefit from the new protocol was Argentina's President Mauricio Macrì. He made an official visit to Pope Francis Feb. 27, accompanied by his third wife, Juliana Awada.
Before the change in protocol, the Catholic head of state in an irregular marital situation could not be accompanied by his or her irregular spouse during the visit.
The new spouse waited in another room and was not included in the official picture. The Pope later greeted the irregular spouse separately.
This protocol was observed only for Catholic heads of state. If a head of state was not a Catholic, there were no exceptions.
"The deep reason why a Catholic head of state could not be accompanied by an irregular spouse is because the Pope is not a mere head of state: he is a head of state because he is the Pope, and as a Pope he also leads the Vatican City State," a source who is an expert in Vatican protocol told CNA March 8.
In this previous understanding, the source maintained, the Pope "could not silently approve an irregular marital situation by acknowledging it, though indirectly, in an official visit."
The new protocol does not fully take this issue into consideration. Rather, it is aimed to emphasize the need to "integrate" divorced-and-remarried persons in the life of the Church.
The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household is the Vatican body in charge of organizing visits of heads of state for the Pope. According to CNA's source, the prefecture was not consulted on the decision to change the protocol.
Following the change of protocol, Catholic heads of state will be accompanied by their spouse even if they are in an irregular marital situation. The irregular partner will be able to greet the Pope and will be included in the official photo of the event and in the exchange of gifts.
Sources maintain the protocol change was conceived within the Vatican Secretariat of State, though the rumor could not be confirmed.
The protocol change does not affect in any way the doctrine of the Church on marriage.