Scottish Catholic Observer

US

US faith leaders try to help heal pain, sorrow (above) after shootings in Tucson, Arizona. Bishop Gerald F Kicanas of Tucson to preside at a public commemoration and healing service tomorrow

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1100110.htm

Delaware Diocese offers $74 Million to abuse victims

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-11/delaware-diocese-proposes-750-000-average-payment-to-victims-of-sex-abuse.html

SCOTLAND

Ron Ferguson says: Let’s have faith in a healthy diversity of education. “My experience of Catholic schools is that they teach respect for others, and invite pupils to take an interest in the concerns of the world community.”

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2079406/#ixzz1Aopljieh

Two Aberdeen stars were carpeted by soccer chiefs over offensive internet rants about the Pope, it emerged yesterday.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3345706/Footy-stars-rapped-for-Pope-net-rants.html#ixzz1AordrvAk

ENGLAND

Church of England braced for wave of defections to Catholic Church

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/8253701/Church-of-England-braced-for-wave-of-defections-to-Catholic-Church.html

Pray your own way, Pope tells Church of England converts

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346230/Pope-tells-Church-England-converts-Pray-way-RC-churches.html

STATE OF WORLD

Egypt has recalled its ambassador to the Vatican for consultation after Pope Benedict XVI urged the country to do more to protect its Christian minority.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12164696

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=453472

Prime Minister of Pakistan rejects Pope’s call on Islamic blasphemy laws

http://continentalnews.net/persecuted-christians/prime-minister-of-pakistan-rejects-pope’s-call-on-islamic-blasphemy-laws-4684.html

Irish Ambassador Noel Fahey on Pope’s speech to diplomats

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=453279

VATICAN

Pope Benedict XVI wants to hear what the Catholic people of Ireland think, according to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the inspector sent by the Pontiff to the Archdiocese of Armagh in the wake of the clerical child abuse crisis.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0111/abuse.html

Pope reverses five-year suspension of Neocatechumenal Way in Japan

http://www.energypublisher.com/article.asp?id=46556

AND FINALLY

New tours enable pilgrims to walk in footsteps of Mary

http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=203205

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