Pope Francis warned the bishops that many in the media and the general public will be focusing on those two issues -- married priests and women deacons -- while he wanted to focus on the social, pastoral, ecological and cultural challenges facing the Amazon region.

A delegation led by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and including the organization's board of directors was in Rome to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their active presence in Rome.

Pope Francis understands that what is at stake is not just a matter of calling for more ethical behavior by leaders in the system, but an actual reform of the system and how it works.

“The world is rich but, notwithstanding this, the [number of] poor people around us is increasing,” Pope Francis said. “Hundreds of millions of people are living in extreme poverty, lacking the bare necessities of life including food, medical care, schools, drinking water.”

The Vatican sought Wednesday to explain the absence of a key member of Pope Francis' protocol team following the scandal over a book on priestly celibacy co-written by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

On "Inside the Vatican" this week, Gerard O'Connell explains why he was skeptical of a supposed leak of Pope Francis' forthcoming document on the Amazon.