Cardinal Victor Fernandez, head of the study group on the topic of women, announced a further meeting on Friday evening.
This emerges from a communication to the synod participants, which is available to the Catholic News Agency (KNA). He is happy to meet with interested synod members next Thursday to hear their thoughts on the topic and receive their written documents, he writes in the message.
Previously, a meeting of around 100 synod participants with representatives of the study group scheduled for Friday afternoon had caused displeasure.
According to those present, the meeting was completely devoid of information and debate. The synod members were merely asked to make oral or written submissions.
Fernandez himself was not present; the Argentinian was represented by two employees of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith - the Vatican authority. Participants described the procedure as "scandalous behaviour" and "terrible disappointment", among other things.
Fernandez expresses regret over absence
In his message, Fernandez expressed regret about "the misunderstanding". He was not absent out of unwillingness, but "because I was objectively unable to attend on the scheduled day at the scheduled time".
In his communication to the meeting on more opportunities for participation in the Catholic Church on 9 October, he had already pointed out that two officials from his dicastery would be attending the meeting.
The meetings with experts from the ten study groups had only been authorised by the synod leadership a fortnight ago after numerous participants had called for an opportunity to exchange views on controversial issues.
At the beginning of the year, certain topics were separated from the Synod into specialist groups.