struggle. it is not an easy decision. >> reporter: under the new rules announced today by pope francis, couples will only need one judgment, not two, from a church tribunal, and local bishops will now have a fast-track procedure to decide straightforward cases. the pope said he made the decision so "the heart of the faithful may not be oppressed imr a long time by the darkness of doubt." the pope's decision comes just weeks before his visit to the u.s. candida moss teaches theology at notre dame. >> this is something that has a really big impact in the lives of american catholics, so he's really addressing a particularly catholic issue and one that affects women before he comes to the united states. you might say that he's sort of clearing the debris out of his ath as he prepares his journey here. >> reporter: in 2012, nearly delf of all catholic annulment requests worldwide came from the united states. cylvia believes the pope's decision sends a welcoming message. >> i know a lot of people who