VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has appointed the organizers for a second big Catholic Church meeting on family issues, keeping in positions of power the same clerics who drafted a revolutionary welcome to gays and divorced Catholics that was ultimately shot down by other bishops.
Significantly, Francis kept on as special secretary of the synod of bishops, Archbishop Bruno Forte, an Italian theologian who drafted the section on gays in the synod's interim document. It was ultimately scrapped by other bishops.
Francis made one change Friday to the leadership of the synod, which will meet in October 2015 to close out the year-long family study. Francis added South African Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, an arch-conservative who was one of the most vocal in opposing Forte's welcoming tone in the first round last month.
