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Five Catholic Cardinals from across the world are openly challenging Pope Francis, asking him to affirm current Catholic teaching on homosexuality and women’s ordination. The cardinals are from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

In a public letter to the Catholic church, the cardinals said they felt “duty-bound” to outline their concerns about such hot-button issues.

A three-week synod at the Vatican begins this week, where agenda items include “radical inclusion” of LGBTQ Catholics and concrete steps to promote women in the church. The cardinals are warning against these moves and asking the Pope to reiterate the church’s inability to bless same-sex couples or ordain women.

The questions were initially posed to the Pope back in April, but his silence compelled the cardinals to pen the open letter. They said they wanted to inform the faithful “so that you may not be subject to confusion, error, and discouragement.”