Pope’s comments ahead of Vatican meeting draw concern

In a move that drew mixed reactions from Catholics, the pope on Wednesday said the Roman Catholic Church needs to be welcoming to “everyone, everyone, everyone,” and called on church leaders to focus on God instead of what he called “ideological battles.” He spoke while presiding over a Mass in St. Peter’s Square to formally open a three-week, closed-door meeting of bishops and laypeople. Attendees are scheduled to discuss the future of the church and topics that include women’s roles in the church, blessing same-sex unions, and accountability measures for bishops.

Has there been any controversy leading up to the meeting? A group of five cardinals on Monday published a set of questions they claim to have sent to the pope requesting clarification on some key topics being discussed at this month’s meeting. The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote in July in response to the questions. In the letter, he affirmed that marriage is between one man and one woman but suggested it may be possible for the church to bless same-sex unions.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report in WORLD Magazine about the upcoming synod.