DHAKA: Pope Francis married 20 couples on Sunday, some of whom had already lived together and had children, in the latest sign that the Argentine pontiff wants the Catholic church to be more open and inclusive.

In the first wedding he has performed in his 18-month-old papacy, Pope Francis took each couple through their vows in turn, including Gabriella and Guido, who already had children and thought such a marriage would be impossible.

Official broadcasting service Radio Vaticana said, reports The Straits Times.

‘The people getting married on Sunday are couples like many others,’ the diocese of Rome said in a statement.

‘Some already live together, some already have children.’

The ceremony was the first of its kind in the Vatican since Pope John Paul II presided over a wedding in 2000, when he was the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

BDST: 1631 HRS, SEP 14, 2014