Pope Francis leaves at the end of a session of the synod on themes of family, sex and marriage at the Vatican on October 16, 2015. Pope Francis inaugurated a gathering of nearly 270 bishops and cardinals. Pope Francis has urged bishops to speak their minds about contentious issues like contraception, gays, marriage and divorce at the start of a three-week meeting aimed at making the church's teaching on family matters relevant to today's Catholics. Photo by Eric Vandeville / ABACAPRESS.COM