Scottish Catholic Observer

Ivory Coast incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo (above) is negotiating surrender.

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=40940

Books of condolence have been opened across Northern Ireland for murdered Catholic Constable Ronan Kerr whose funeral will be held today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12977965

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has expressed concern about the ending of 50 – 50 recruitment to the Northern Ireland police (PSNI), plans to speak to speak to David Cameron.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12973055

The Vatican has urged the faithful not to let reports of huge crowds or unscrupulous hoteliers deter them from coming to Rome for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul on May 1.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/05/us-vatican-beatification-idUSTRE7344U920110405

Vatican researchers have scaled the cupola atop St Peter’s Basilica to use high-tech tools to study the dome’s innards and found the structure to be more sturdily built than experts had long believed.

http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20110405&id=13272466

A new book looks at the attention the Church has taken to sport, and what role it plays in the life and formation of people.

http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=475780

New head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church would like to meet with Patriarch Kirill to relieve tension.

http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/confessional/interchurch_relations/41567/

World Youth Day Cross and icon in Gibraltar.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=21437

—Cross Wires is the Scottish Catholic Observer newspaper’s blog