Vatican goes on a road show.

When you're one of the planet's foremost cultural and religious institutions, the world tends to come to you. Those who want to see art commissioned by the popes or vie for an up close look at Pope Benedict XVI's fisherman's ring generally have to brave a trip to Rome. ''Vatican Splendors From Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Swiss Guard,'' which opened this month at Florida International Museum, brings some of the Catholic Church's most exquisite items on a three-city U.S. tour. It is not some watered-down collection, as the exhibit's first room demonstrates. ''The Madonna del Sassoferrato,'' a painting of the Virgin Mary that has graced many holiday cards but never been exhibited outside Rome, is one of the first works to greet visitors. And at the center of the room is a display case with a silver and gold reliquary said to contain the bones of St. Peter and other saints. But the star of the room, and indeed the collection, is the Mandylion of Edessa. For believers, the gaunt, bearded face staring from the cloth is the likeness of Jesus, and is among a rare class of artifacts deemed ''not made by human hands.'' Religious lore has it that Jesus pressed a handkerchief to his face, leaving an indelible imprint of his likeness much like the Shroud of Turin. Scientific evidence suggests it is a painting, but regardless, the object remains one of the Vatican's prized possessions. Other segments of the show offer similarly awe-inspiring pieces. Mosaics dating as far back as the eighth century, a compass supposedly used by Michelangelo, and portraits, statues and papal vestments are among the roughly 200 items on display. So, too, are dozens of items created by and for the popes, including the iconic staff Pope John Paul II was often filmed with and Benedict XVI's fisherman's ring, one of the first items conferred to new popes. ''This is just a taste of all the wealth of art and its beauty the Vatican owns,'' said Monsignor Roberto Zagnoli, one of three curators of the Vatican Museums. He accompanied the exhibit to Florida, the first of three stops in the United States. After it closes here in May, the exhibit moves on to Cleveland, Ohio, and finally St. Paul, Minnesota. The items then return to Rome, where they cannot be absent for more than a year.''Even if you go to Rome, you won't see some of these things,'' said Peter Radetsky, a former professor and writer who helped develop the exhibit. ''They're just not displayed.'' Some of the items have been to North America before on a previous tour of items from the Vatican Museums. And at least one journeyed across the Atlantic prior to that _ a wooden missal stand wrapped in fish scales that was reportedly used by Christopher Columbus' chaplain on his voyages to the Americas. AP

Premeditated Mobs attack Christians

Hindu extremists exploit economic fears to launch attacks on Christians.

by Vishal Arora

Observers and Christian leaders say India's largest incident of sustained anti-Christian violence, which rendered thousands homeless in Orissa State, was preplanned.

The violence began on Christmas Eve, with an attack on a Catholic church in Brahmani village, and continued until January 2. Christian leaders told the National Human Rights Commission that 9 people had been killed, close to 90 churches burned, about 600 houses torched or vandalized, and thousands displaced.

Three months before the series of attacks, a newspaper had warned that tensions were brewing between the Christian and non-Christian tribal communities over governmental affirmative-action benefits. During Christmas week, local Christians had urged district authorities to provide police protection. Their pleas went unheeded.

Christians make up an estimated 16 percent of the 650,000 people in Kandhamal district. More than 60 percent of them belong to the Pana community and are classified as "Scheduled Castes," better known as Dalits (formerly "Untouchables"). Their demand for recognition as a tribal community is opposed by the largely Hindu Kui people, as it would increase the number of candidates eligible for government-reserved jobs.

With elections due in 10 other states this year and a general election scheduled for 2009, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to use religion-related issues to polarize voters. This tactic, Christians fear, could increase the incidence of anti-Christian violence.

The Orissa State government transferred both the district collector and the police superintendent for failing to prevent the violence. Orissa's population of 36 million includes fewer than 900,000 Christians.