Pope grants paternity leave to fathers working at Vatican

Pope Francis on Tuesday amended the Vatican’s family leave policy, effectively granting three-day paternity leave to employees who become new fathers.

The law will allow new fathers to be compensated with full pay during the duration of their leave, according to The Associated Press.

Previously, the law only covered maternity leave for expectant mothers, providing those employees with up to six months of paid leave. It also allowed employees to extend the maternity leave for an additional six months, during which they would receive half of their pay, the news outlet noted.

Though the law will not apply to priests who take religious vows that prevent them from having children, hundreds of employees who work under the Vatican Museums and other arms of the Vatican will benefit from the change, The AP reported.

Parents who work for the Vatican and adopt children are also reportedly able to take advantage of the paid leave.