Morning Catholic must-reads: 22/03/11

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri has urged Catholics in the West not to ignore the plight of Christians in the Middle East (full text).

Fr Peter Williams, executive secretary of the Australian bishops’ liturgy commission, has said that calls for a boycott of the new Missal “open the doors to liturgical anarchy“.

The Indian bishops, who belong to the fourth largest episcopal conference in the world, have begun their ad limina visit to Rome.

The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) has issued a statement concerning the allegations against Fr John Corapi.

A priest in Tripoli has hailed the courage of Filipino nurses who have decided to remain in the country despite the war.

Franciscans in Vietnam have chosen to mark Lent by donating blood to hospitals.

Louisa Lim reports on the “rising tide of Christianity in China” for NPR.

Marci Hamilton argues that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is “the Ireland of America”.

Moral theologian Janet Smith explains why she feels increasingly pessimistic about the future.

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles encourages the faithful to “read the New Testament with Pope Benedict“.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi praises the heroism of St Thomas Becket.

A Reluctant Sinner asks whether soups runs outside Westminster Cathedral are really helping the homeless.

Fr C John McCloskey urges Catholics to rediscover the biting wit of Hilaire Belloc.

And the Vatican’s official Facebook page for Pope John Paul II has clocked up more than 30,000 “likes”.