Only bishops can vote at a synod, but about 30 women have been invited to the meeting as auditors.

Pope Francis reminds everyone that the Catholic Church is against gay marriage at opening of synod on the family

I got over my acolyte envy; Cardinal Burke and his ilk need to get over their aversion to women. All of us in leadership roles for the Church and its institutions need to come together to figure out how to sustain the service enterprises that are the collective ministry of the Church in the world. Now THAT is a topic for a Synod where women truly should be heard!