Scottish Catholic Observer

SCOTLAND

Desmond Kane on anti-Catholic sectarianism in Scottish football: ‘UEFA have to get involved. The sooner they force Rangers and the Scottish Football Association to realise they can no longer shy away from this pestilence, the better for the utopian ideal of a tolerant, multi-faith and multicultural society in Scotland… This is about a wider issue in Scottish society, about the ongoing problem that seems to get its most public airing when Rangers play.’

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/desmond-kane/article/1011/

A number of Catholic schools in Scotland’s capital will prioritise baptised Catholic pupils in light of primary class size crisis.

http://news.scotsman.com/education/Primaries-face-class-size-crisis.6739619.jp

UK

Interview with new Apostolic Nuncio (above) to Great Britain: full transcript.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/03/24/interview-with-new-nuncio-to-britain-full-transcript/

VATICAN

The Vatican launched a series of public dialogues with non-believers yesterday, choosing leading intellectual institutions in Paris to present its belief that modern societies must speak more openly about God.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/sns-rt-life-us-vatican-athtre72n887-20110324,0,6292550.story

April may be cruel month for Church relations with traditionalists.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/april-may-be-cruel-month-relations-traditionalists

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Paul Bhatti, brother of murdered Catholic Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, has been appointed ‘special advisor’ for religious minorities by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=28649&lan=eng

Libya: Trust Africa’s wisdom, says said Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli.

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=121&id=50865&t=Libya:+Trust+Africa’s+wisdom,+says+Catholic+bishop

United Nations recognise Archbishop Romero’s legacy.

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=472594

Russian Orthodox leadership proposes alliance with Catholics.

http://rbth.ru/articles/2011/03/24/russian_orthodox_leadership_proposes_alliance_with_catholics_12607.html

US Bishops steady in resolve to protect children, says Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

http://www.zenit.org/e-32119

Security forces in Syria have cracked down on anti-government protestors, killing at least nine protestors in the southern city of Daraa. In response, around 20,000 Syrians chanted freedom slogans as they marched at the funerals of the felled protesters. “The blood of martyrs is not spilt in waste!” they chanted in Daraa’s southern cemetery.

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=40813

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