Morning Catholic must-reads: 11/08/10

A high view of St Peter's square (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi has welcomed the decision of three men who had sought to hold the Holy See liable in an American court for sexual abuse by priests to abandon the case.

John Allen examines the reasons why the most serious lawsuit against the Holy See in US courts was dropped.

Jeffrey Lena, the American lawyer for the Holy See, has suggested that other major abuse cases against the Vatican are falling apart.

Archbishop Mario Conti has issued a pastoral letter to mark the Pope’s visit to Scotland next month.

The organisers of the papal visit have unveiled the 12-track CD to be given to all pilgrims at outdoor papal Masses.

Thousands of Poles have held a midnight rally in Warsaw to demand that a wooden cross erected in memory of the late President Lech Kaczyński be moved.

A priest in Nashville may face disciplinary action after he posted a video criticising Church teaching on celibacy, contraception and papal authority on his parish website.

World Cup star Diego Forlan has visited the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, criticises Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s comments about the American justice system. Brian Flynn, who lost his brother in the Lockerbie bombing, also takes issue with the cardinal.

Fr James Schall SJ ponders the challenge of Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth.

Gerald Warner wonders if Richard Dawkins is going soft on religion.

And Joe Carter of First Things explores the moral universe of Marshall Mathers III (aka Eminem).