The theologians said a synodal attitude and way of being church flowed naturally from the Second Vatican Council's description of the church as a communion and its emphasis on the responsibility of all Catholics for the church's life and mission, although each person has been given different gifts and roles by the Holy Spirit.

Six of the nine agencies that assist the U.S. State Department in resettling refugees in 190 communities throughout the U.S. are faith-based organizations.

The initiative will provide recommendations for faith-based programs to partner with the government to fight poverty.

Overall, about 40 percent of U.S. Catholics are Hispanic, according to the survey.

Pope Francis asked the bishops of Germany to continue working together to find broader consensus on guidelines for allowing a Protestant married to a Catholic to receive the Eucharist.

"Those that are in the caravan, 75 percent of them won't be accepted," he added. "That's been the number over the years."