Morning Catholic must-reads: 17/09/12

Benedict XVI called for “the cessation of all violence” in the Middle East yesterday at the final Mass of his successful three-day visit to Lebanon (full texts, videos, John Allen’s analysis).

Demonstrators have stormed a Catholic cathedral in Niger during a protest against the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Muslims.

European officials are seeking new ways to tax the Catholic Church as the continent reels from financial crisis, reports the Washington Post.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi says he was surprised that Pope Benedict’s trip to Lebanon went so well.

Dana Dillon recounts a hilarious evening at Fordham University with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Fr James Martin SJ and comedian Stephen Colbert (Cardinal Dolan full text, Fr Martin full text).

Joseph Pronechen hails the Catholic university whose students live everywhere from America to Afghanistan.

And the Edmonton Journal pays tribute to a recently deceased Canadian priest who wore wigs, taught in gibberish and once led “an Easter service in bunny ears”.

Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day