Pope Francis opens synod on themes of family, sex and marriage at the Vatican on October 6, 2014.Pope Francis inaugurated a gathering of nearly 200 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 two-week meeting aimed at making the church's teaching on family matters relevant to today's Catholics. Photo by Eric Vandeville/ABACAPRESS.COM