A new document authorised by Pope Benedict XVI restating Roman Catholic views that Protestant denominations are not churches "in the proper sense" has been criticised as setting back the quest for Christian unity.

Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged a group of experts to search for heart treatments using adult stem cells, saying scientific experimetation should be encouraged, provided it is not to detriment to other human beings.

Both religious believers and human rights campaigners are furious that a senior Vatican spokesperson is encouraging Catholics to withdraw support from Amnesty International because it supports the decriminalization of abortion for women facing violence.

A Catholic church in Aberdeen facing closure will now remain open, ­thanks to community appeals and an influx of new parishioners from Poland. The Church is increasingly reliant on new migrant workers.

The death of Chinese Catholic Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan of Beijing may signal further development is the awkward relations between the Vatican and the Chinese government.

The strongly-worded condemnation of oppression and injustice issued by Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops has been highlighted by the Pope in his traditional Easter message at St Peter’s Basilica.

The Catholic Bishop of Lancaster has said the UK government is fuelling the development of nuclear weapons around the world.

A Catholic bishop in Nigeria has instructed parishioners to show they have registered to vote in elections this April or be banned from communion, a newspaper This Day reported on Tuesday.