What is the synod?
Called the Synod of Bishops, it is the closest thing – not close at all – to a parliament in the Catholic Church. Instituted by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, it allegedly embodies the "collegial" government of the Catholic Church in that, every three years or so, the pope summons cardinals, bishops and a few lay people from all around the world to discuss a particular hot-button topic with him.
Who exactly attends?
Some 253 people, including the pope, the presidents of all the bishops’ conferences around the world, the leaders of the “Oriental” Catholic Churches (Copt, Greek Melechite, Armenian Catholic, Maronite, Chaldean, Ethiopian, and so on), the heads of all Vatican departments, special Vatican “collaborators” and 11 Catholic couples representing groups such as Couples for Christ and the World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings (Woomb). The 62 lay people have observer status but are not able to vote.
How long does it last?
Two weeks.
How does it work?
All the issues (in this case related to sexual morality with regard to the family) are discussed by the delegates in the synod hall for the first week, with everybody getting a chance to speak, provided they keep their contribution down to four minutes. In the second week, the delegates break up into smaller groups to consider specific problems.
At the end of the whole process, recommendations are made and a final document is drawn up. That document will then be considered and brought back to Rome this time next year at a second synod on the family, when the real decisions, if any, will be made.
Finally, the synod recommendations will be presented to Pope Francis, who will produce his post-synodal exhortation, probably in 2016, which may or may not take on board the synod’s conclusions.