Catholic Charities USA says the number of impoverished clients it served in 2008 spiked an “alarming” 10 percent, the just-introduced Baucus health-care reform bill doesn’t include a public option and may avoid a battle over abortion coverage, the Catholic Archbishop of Washington said reform bills should cover immigrants, and Sojourners has launched a campaign against conservative talk show hosts. The late Ted Kennedy said that Jesus’ resurrection “gave him hope” and a Massachusetts priest said Kennedy’s funeral was an “avoidable scandal.” A Russian court sentenced a man to 14 years of hard labor for murdering two Jesuits. CIA head Leon Pannetta told Michigan Muslims that “the nation needs you” in the fight against terrorism, eight million Americans have considered suicide, suicide bombers hit the UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia and an Egyptian cleric says women can wear pants. Israel and Jordan are still fighting over the spot where John the Baptist did his thing, a Bible that dates to the American Revolution is expected to fetch $40,000 at an auction and a Torah that survived the Holocaust has retired to Miami. Rick Warren is offering $5,000* for cover art for his new book. Hindus in India are slow to warm to organ donation because of concerns about reincarnation and African and Canadian bishops have started writing letters to each other about sex.

He upped the ante from $3,000 earlier this week.