WATERVILLE — Bishop Robert Deeley, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, says he expects that a special meeting of church officials on issues related to families will not result in dramatic changes in traditional Catholic doctrine.

The meeting — officially called extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family — was called by Pope Francis. The pontiff called on bishops to speak their minds without fear about contentious issues such as contraception, gays, marriage and divorce. The two-week meeting is a discussion about the church’s teaching on family matters in light of modern pastoral issues relative to marriage and family life.

Deeley suggested that the synod may lead the church to get its message across in ways relevant to modern society.

“We have to find a new way to present the rich teaching of the church on Christian marriage,” Deeley said.

An extraordinary synod is a special meeting of the Synod of Bishops, a body created by the Vatican to provide advice and information to the pope. An extraordinary session is generally called for a specific purpose. The meetings include discussions involving bishops and others who will do preliminary work. Next year, at about this time, a larger group will gather in an “ordinary” synod to discuss the issues further, according to Deeley.

“What might happen is an outline of what the group would like the larger group to discuss a year later,” Deeley said Tuesday. “Out of that will come a document.”

Deeley, who met with Pope Francis about two weeks ago in Rome, took a few moments away from an open house and blessing ceremony Tuesday at St. Francis Apartments on Elm Street to answer questions about the synod. He was asked specifically whether the sessions now underway ultimately could lead to significant changes in the way the church views such controversial issues as marriage, divorce and birth control.

Deeley said a strong emphasis on marriage is needed, and that the value of marriage must be strengthened.

Asked whether he expects the synod ultimately to produce changes on the scale of the Second Vatican Council of the mid-1960s, Deeley said he does not. Vatican II set a direction for the church, and it takes a long time to implement its teaching, he said.

The extraordinary synod, he said, includes a representative from each country and next year’s synod will include a maximum of three or four representatives from each country. The U.S., for example, would send four bishops. A number of lay people also would participate, he said.

Deeley, who came to Maine in February from Boston, said he had met Pope Francis in May 2013, as well as at a council of bishops in September of last year, in addition to during his visit to Rome last month.

The latest visit was Deeley’s first chance since arriving in Maine to thank Pope Francis personally for sending him to Maine, he said.

“It was a very warm day — very hot — and he asked me where Maine was,” Deeley recalled. “I said it is in the northeast part of the country. I said, ‘You should come next year when you come to the U.S., because it’s very comfortable.’ He just laughed, and he asked me to ask the people (of Maine) to pray for him.”

Deeley described Pope Francis as “wonderful.”

“He can be very engaging,” he said. “I knew Pope Benedict fairly well, and he was a man of linguistics and able to communicate in many languages. I can speak enough Italian (so) that I could deal with Pope Francis.”

Deeley said he is enjoying his time in Maine, a large state that has its challenges, environmentally and economically, but his task is to care for some wonderful people.

“I love it,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

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