(Gregorio Borgia | The Associated Press) Pope Francis attends the opening of the15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. The Oct. 3-28 synod is opening under a fresh cloud of scandal with new revelations about decades of sexual misconduct and cover-up in the U.S., Chile, Germany and elsewhere. That has sent confidence in Francis' leadership to all-time lows among the American faithful.