Morning Catholic must-reads: 10/12/10

The Vatican has begun to digitise more than seven million photos in its archives dating back to the pontificate of Pius XII.

Almost 2,000 people have said they were abused while in the care of the Dutch Catholic Church, an independent report has found.

The state-approved Chinese Catholic Church has elected new leaders in defiance of the Vatican.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan has published a new, colloquial translation of the Hail Mary for trial use throughout the country.

An ampoule containing traces of John Paul II’s blood may be installed in a new church on the site of a former factory where the late pope worked during the Second World War.

African Church leaders have promised to promote Lectio Divina and the role of women in response to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent document on Scripture, Verbum Domini.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, the new president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has said that ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox Christians is “the great challenge“.

Fr James Martin SJ notes the “striking similarities” between Lourdes and the newly approved Wisconsin apparitions.

Doug Bandow considers North Korea’s grim record on religious freedom.

And Carl Olson reveals that Light of the World is not, in fact, the best-selling Ignatius Press book of the year.