Pope Francis launches review of Church teaching on family, marriage

Vatican City, Italy: Pope Francis on Sunday launches a major review of Catholic teaching on the family that could have far-reaching implications for the Church's attitude to marriage, cohabitation and divorce.

An extraordinary synod, or meeting, of nearly 200 bishops from around the world and a sprinkling of lay Catholics will, for the next two weeks, address the huge gulf between what the Church says on these issues and what tens of millions of believers actually do.