Morning Catholic must-reads: 17/04/14

Pope Francis prayed that both youthful and elderly priests would be marked by joy as he celebrated the Chrism Mass at St Peter’s this morning (full text, full video).

The Holy Father will wash the feet of 12 people, including a Libyan Muslim and an Ethiopian woman, this evening at a rehabilitation centre in Rome.

Trust in the Catholic Church has risen among both Latin American Catholics and Evangelicals since Francis’s election, a new survey has found.

The Vatican and the Japanese bishops are close to an agreement on the new Japanese Missal translation, reports UCANews.com.

El Al will fly Pope Francis home from his visit to the Holy Land.

Fr Ray Blake offers advice to penitents whose Confessions could be summed up as “Same as last time, Father”.

And a botanist in Israel has found a way of making the Madonna lily bloom just in time for Easter.

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

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