(Updated on 12/9 with Politics Daily story about Elizabeth Edwards.)

Here’s a Belief Beat experiment: a Wednesday post that catches some of the faith news items that haven’t made it into a designated blog post yet. If you like this, I can make it a weekly feature.

As I noted in yesterday’s Comments section, it’s a busy religion news week. Here are three topics worth catching up on:

Clergy Abuse:

• Top Catholic educator concealed abuse knowledge (AP)
• Newark archbishop shielded at least 4 priests accused of clergy abuse (Newark Star-Ledger)
• Archdiocese of Newark condemns Star-Ledger report on handling of priest sex abuse cases (Newark Star-Ledger)
• German cardinal asks abuse victims for forgiveness (AP)
• Bishop Eddie Long agrees to mediation (Huffington Post)
• NY rabbi, sons accused of sexually abusing girls (AP)

Proposition 8:

• 9th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In Challenge To California’s Proposition 8 (Religion Clause)
• Court weighs in on constitutionality of gay marriage ban (AP)
• Appeals court hears Proposition 8 (Christianity Today)

RIP Elizabeth Edwards:

• Elizabeth Edwards Dies (Christianity Today)
• Elizabeth Edwards, to many, embodied grace under fire (Christian Science Monitor)
• Why Elizabeth Edwards left God out of her last goodbye (Politics Daily)
   

And your picks? Share your thoughts, and links, in the Comments section below.

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