VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will open a month-long summit of global Catholic leaders today but it is likely to defer any decision on divisive issues. The gathering, which includes cardinals, bishops and lay people from more than 110 countries, will vote on a final text in late October that may suggest doctrinal changes. But most of the hottest issues have been assigned to study groups that will make final reports to Francis, who is 87, only next June.
The assembly, known as a synod, drew fierce criticism from conservative critics of Francis last year. Ahead of that event, in an unusually strong letter from high prelates to the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, five cardinals publicly asked Francis to restate that the Church could not approve recently trending issues.
This year, there has been little conservative criticism, even from usually vocal right-wing Catholic media outlets. But Catholics hoping for changes to the Church's teachings are expressing frustration. — Reuters
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