Scottish Catholic Observer

SCOTLAND AND IRELAND

Action of Churches Together, which includes Catholid Church, in coalition calling for voice of the ordinary Scot to be heard in the run up to the Scottish independence referendum.

Sinn Fein wants referendum on Irish unification.

Archbishop Charles John Brown (above), the new Papal nuncio to Ireland, is expected to arrive in the country today and will present his credentials to President Michael D Higgins in mid-February.

Ireland may reopen ‘modest’ Vatican embassy in future, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.

With under six months to go, 2012 International Eucharistic Congress organisers are hoping to galvanise some of the WYD enthusiasm to help make the Dublin event in June unforgettable.

VATICAN

Bishops attend major conference on preventing abuse.

Patriarch Kirill says his meeting with Pope is not possible yet.

Vatican to pay property tax in Israel in breakthrough agreement.

US

New initiative launched against US federal contraception rules.

A Catholic diocese in Nebraska states it will refuse to comply with a federal health care mandate that all employee health care plans cover contraceptives.

Woman charged with embezzling US $1 million from New York archdiocese.

Philadelphia judge reaffirms ruling that retired Cardinal Anthony J Bevilacqua is fit to testify in abuse case.

- Cross Wires is The Scottish Catholic Observer blog