Pope Francis has made statements to reinforce the idea that he endorses shared parenting. According to an article in the Catholic newspaper Avvenire this is the first time a major religious body has taken a stance on shared parenting, to the best of our knowledge.

The Council of Italian Bishops (Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, or CEI) has endorsed shared parenting after divorce or separation, based on a full-page spread that appeared in its official newspaper, Avvenire (“Future”) on the Sunday before Christmas. It was written by the Chief Editor of Avvenire, Luciano Moia. The article urges family courts to not only state support for shared parenting, but to also ensure the arrangement actually occurs in practice. Also, the article was supportive of legislative efforts that encourage shared parenting.