After an extended period of disagreement and diplomatic conflict, the Pope has extended an olive branch to the Catholics in China, and indirectly to the governing authorities, via a meeting and pastoral letter to follow.

The Pope has offered prayers for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which begins today, focusing on Christian-Jewish relations.

Poland's Roman Catholic bishops have urged the media to respect the decision of a top archbishop to resign due to accusations that he acted as an informer for Poland's former communist secret police - writes Jonathan Luxmoore for Ecumenical News International.

The annual World Peace Day message is due to be celebrated by a record number of Catholic parishes in England and Wales this Sunday, 14 January 2007, reports Pax Christi, the international Catholic movement for peace.

Pope Benedict XVI, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, has highlighted the links between human rights and human reconciliation in his 2007 New Year message, delivered at St Peter's Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI says he is looking to increased cooperation between Christians, and a stepped-up dialogue with Muslims, following his four-day visit to Turkey - writes Luigi Sandri for Ecumenical News International.

Pope Benedict XVI has prayed with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomeos I, who is often referred to as the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, making a step to healing a 1000 year rift, which the pontiff said obstructs the proclamation of the Gospel - writes Luigi Sandri for Ecumenical News International.

While the publication of the latest edition of children's author J K Rowling's acclaimed Harry Potter series has been the expected commercial and media sensation, rumours abound that Pope Benedict XVI is less than thrilled by the young wizard's antics

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