5 conservative cardinals challenge pope to affirm church teaching on gays and women ahead of meeting

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Five conservative cardinals are challenging Pope Francis to affirm Catholic teaching on homosexuality and female ordination. They’ve asked him to respond ahead of a big Vatican meeting where such hot-button issues are up for debate. The cardinals on Monday published five questions they submitted to Francis, known as “dubia.” They also published an open letter to the Catholic faithful in which they outlined their concerns. The cardinals said they felt duty-bound to inform the faithful “so that you may not be subject to confusion, error, and discouragement.” The letter and questions were published two days before the start of a major three-week synod, or meeting, at the Vatican on the future of the Catholic Church.