The 364 members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the 85 experts, facilitators and ecumenical delegates accompanying them began their work in earnest Oct. 5, meeting, sharing and praying in small groups.

Pope Francis opened the work of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops asking members to meditate on ancient theological texts about the Holy Spirit, have the courage to be honest about their disagreements and focus much more on listening than on sharing their opinions.

As the Synod on Synodality opened Oct. 4 in Rome, among the most closely watched topics under discussion is the question of whether the Catholic Church can or will extend the permanent diaconate — restored after the Second Vatican Council — to women.

After warning the world against ignoring the cries of the earth and the poor with his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home,” Pope Francis intensified his critique with “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God”), warning against the selfish obsession with human power and the “irresponsible derision” of the reality of climate change.

Members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops are not gathered in Rome to implement a “plan of reformation” but to walk together as a church that discerns God’s will for the present moment, Pope Francis said at the assembly’s opening Mass.

Four days after creating new cardinals, Pope Francis gave an extra job or two to the 18 prelates who are under the retirement age of 80.

Competing notions of authority and giving certain Christian truths preeminence over others can not only derail the assembly of the Synod of Bishops but, worse, cripple the church’s ability to share Christ with the world, Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe told synod members.

As Catholic delegates arrived in Rome from across the globe for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality Oct. 4-29 and continued their retreat ahead of the assembly, hopes were high that the upcoming discussions will set the church on a secure path for the future, despite today’s multiple competing perspectives and priorities.

Sharing the Gospel message requires closeness and tenderness, especially toward people most in need, Pope Francis said in separate meetings with a religious order of women and an order of men holding their general chapters in Rome.

The Catholic Church, in pursuit of “pastoral prudence,” should discern if there are ways of giving blessings to homosexual persons that do not alter the church’s teaching on marriage, Pope Francis said.