VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state drew rising criticism for failures of the Vatican bureaucracy he oversaw, stepped down Oct. 15 with a speech praising the pontificate of retired Pope Benedict XVI and stressing its continuity with that of Pope Francis.

Catholics may be getting used to a Pope who says the unexpected. “Who am I to judge?” “The court is the leprosy of the papacy.” “Proselytism is solemn nonsense.” “How I would like a Church that is poor and for the poor.”

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of seven men and women, including a Canadian and an English founder of two religious orders for women.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Oct. 20 (Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8)

Moses had a formidable secret weapon at his disposal, one that generals throughout the centuries would have loved to have as their own. In this case, it was the staff of God held aloft in his hands. As long as his hands were held aloft, Israel prevailed against the Amalekites; when his hands become weary and drooped a bit, they began to lose. His assistants had a solution: they propped his arms up so the Israelites were able to emerge victorious from the battle.

Karl Rogers once suggested that what’s most private within us is also most universal. His belief was that many of the private feelings that we would be ashamed to admit in public are, ironically, the very feelings which, if expressed, would resonate most deeply inside the experience of others.

As by now everyone knows, Pope Francis offered a lengthy and wide-ranging interview to the editor of La Civilta Cattolica, which was subsequently published last month in 16 Jesuit-sponsored journals. As we’ve come to expect practically any time this Pope speaks, the interview has provoked a media frenzy.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis' decision to call an extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family in 2014 demonstrates how important he believes the family is and the urgency he sees in responding to problems Christian families face, said the head of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

VATICAN CITY - The predicament of divorced and remarried Catholics will be a major topic of discussion when bishops from around the world meet at the Vatican in October 2014.

ROME - Members of the Legionaries of Christ will begin their extraordinary general chapter Jan. 8 to elect new leaders and approve a new constitution, the key step in an effort to renew the order after revelations about the misconduct of their founder.

VATICAN CITY - Who are the holy men and women Pope Francis looks up to? He revealed many of them in two recently published interviews.