Morning Catholic must-reads: 21/06/12

The murder rate in El Salvador has fallen dramatically after a truce between rival gangs brokered by the Catholic Church that has so far lasted 100 days.

The American bishops will launch the “Fortnight for Freedom” today, a nationwide, two-week protest against the Obama administration’s contraception mandate.

The Syrian government has expelled the outspoken Italian Jesuit Fr Paolo Dall’Oglio.

Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Substitute to the Vatican’s Secretary of State, has said that the Chinese authorities “should not set the Pope against the pastors of the local Church”.

The jury in a landmark clerical abuse case in Philadelphia is deadlocked after 12 days of deliberation.

John Green defends the Catholic Church’s opposition to population control at the Rio summit on sustainable development.

And researchers at Arizona State University have discovered that Catholics are “more reticent” about discussing their charitable giving than Muslims.

For updates throughout the day follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen