Pope wants to keep crucial, non-ideological Vatican meeting on the future of the church behind closed doors

Pope Francis defended the decision to hold the deliberations of a significant Vatican summit on the future of the Catholic Church behind closed doors, saying Monday that the three-week conference was a sacred moment for the church and "not a television program" that was subject to public inspection.

On his trip back from Mongolia, Francis was frequently questioned about the upcoming synod of bishops, which runs from October 4 to 29 and comes after a historic two-year survey of ordinary Catholics around the world regarding their hopes for the church.

Given that contentious topics like the acceptance of LGBTQ+ Catholics and clerical celibacy are on the official agenda, many Vatican watchers view the synod as a turning point in the Francis papacy.

Although the synod is not a decision-making body, many Catholics who took part in the pre-meeting surveys are interested to see whether or not the bishops and laypeople who were chosen to represent them would take their suggestions into consideration. In an unprecedented move, Francis has given laypeople, including women, the opportunity to vote on particular suggestions that will be put out for the pope's consideration alongside bishops.