Morning Catholic must-reads: 04/12/12

Benedict XVI has called for a global political authority that would serve “first and foremost, as a moral force” (speech summary, video).

The Vatican commission investigating alleged apparitions at Medjugorje could publish its findings later this month, the French magazine La Vie has claimed.

Lay people and priests in the Diocese of Makeni, Sierra Leone, have said they will not recognise their new bishop, who will be consecrated in the capital, Freetown, next month.

The National Catholic Reporter has invoked Blessed John Henry Newman in an editorial calling for the women’s ordination (full text).

Dylan Parry, Tim Stanley, Jimmy Akin, Joshua Keating, Matthew Schmitz and The Onion react to the Pope’s decision to open a personal Twitter account, @pontifex.

Fr John Edwards SJ suggests that St Francis Xavier was like Homer Simpson.

And canon lawyer Cathy Caridi explains the difference between Sisters and nuns.

Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.