Scottish Catholic Observer

Universe is product of design, not chance, Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily as he celebrated Mass for the feast of the Epiphany yesterday.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=8821

Vatican sends EUR 70,000 as aid for quake-hit Kraljevo, Serbia

http://www.emg.rs/en/news/serbia/143766.html

Ancient manuscript appears to be account of Magi’s journey

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13909007

Religious leaders battle to stem Christian exodus in Middle East (Christian rally in Egypt above). Fiona McCallum, of St Andrews University in Scotland, says more people might be leaving the region today because of their religion but that political and economic reasons remain a factor.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4b7d594-19c5-11e0-b921-00144feab49a.html#axzz1ALNP7WTj

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore said says assassination in Pakistan shows dangerous rise in extremism, adding assassinated Pakistani Govenor Salman Taseer was a ‘staunch defender’ of the rights of minorities and stood up to extremist groups

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pakistani-archbishop-says-assassination-shows-dangerous-rise-in-extremism/

A Catholic bookstore in Ho Chi Minh City has withdrawn from sale a series of books by a Scottish Protestant theologian on the advice of Vietnamese bishops’ doctrinal commission.

http://www.cathnewsasia.com/2011/01/07/catholic-stores-withdraw-dangerous-books/

US envoy Christian Marchant beaten in Vietnam after trying to visit Catholic priest and dissident Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly in Hue City

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/06/AR2011010605549.html

Bishop of Mallorca criticises calendar – which shows Catholic youths posing naked – for ‘not respecting Christian symbols’

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/06/catholic-bishop-mallorca-naked-calendar

—Cross Wires is the Scottish Catholic Observer newspaper’s blog