Pope Francis' big Catholic reform project has opened with widespread calls for women to take up more positions of responsibility in the church topping the agenda.

Pope Francis' big Catholic reform project has opened with widespread calls for women to take up more positions of responsibility in the church topping the agenda

Pope Francis opened a global Catholic summit on Wednesday with a warning that delegates should not seek to foist pet agendas onto the assembly, an apparent attempt to prevent discussions bogging down in divisive issues such as women's ordination.