The new rules demonstrate Francis’ approach to his papacy: Change procedures and tone, so as to attract people back to the church, without changing doctrine. They are also a tacit acknowledgment of the challenges the church faces in the modern world, and Francis’ attempts to find points of interaction.

Currently, the process begins when a spouse, usually assisted by a lawyer, petitions for an annulment. The other spouse is contacted by a tribunal of clergymen; the spouse may cooperate, but that is not essential. Evidence is presented, witnesses testify, and then an advocate for the church, known as the defender of the bond, examines the evidence and argues that the marriage should not be dissolved. The tribunal issues a judgment that must be confirmed in another trial before an annulment can be granted.

More than half of the annulments granted by the church worldwide go to Catholics in the United States, according to statistics compiled by the Religion News Service. But even in the United States, the process can be arduous, requiring testimony and documentation, and can take more than a year. Tribunals in some dioceses are overloaded with cases. The cost, up to $1,000, can also be prohibitive, though waivers are available for those who cannot pay, and some American dioceses have dropped the fees entirely in recent years.

About one-quarter of American Catholics say they have divorced, according to a study released last week by the Pew Research Center, and about one-quarter of those have sought an annulment in the church.

“That’s a pretty big pool of people,” Mr. Thavis said.

Francis is preparing the church for a major meeting, or synod, to be held at the Vatican in October, in which bishops and other Catholic leaders will debate changing the church’s approach on social issues like homosexuality and divorce, among other matters. Many Catholics are waiting to see whether the church will soften its position and start giving holy communion to those who have divorced and remarried without receiving annulments.

That meeting is shaping up as a showdown between factions of liberal and conservative Catholics. But on the issue of improving the annulment process, analysts say there is broad consensus, which is why the pope moved forward.

Francis’ announcement on Tuesday — outlined in two papal documents and coming after he appointed a special commission on the subject a year ago — was framed as an effort to fix inefficiencies in the annulment procedure and not as an endorsement of divorce.