After the government-established church service, the U.S. president gently encouraged the Chinese
government to consider granting
religious freedom to its citizens,
telling them not to fear
Christianity.

Pope Benedict XVI told the crowd that he hoped the Beijing Olympics will provide a good example of coexistence, while respecting human dignity
recently.

Though a Vatican spokesman says consideration of a papal visit to China is “premature,” he nevertheless called an invitation extended to
Benedict XVI by Beijing’s bishop “encouraging.”

Members of the Aid Agency for the Oriental Churches were received by
Pope Benedict revently. At the audience, the Holy Father stressed the
vital role of the Eastern Churches in working for peace and expressed his
desire to visit the Holy Land.

The Christian communities of southern Iraq launched a campaign for the
restoration of churches that have been damaged due to negligence and
the war.

An analysis of US major newspaper editorials published in response to
the California Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a ban on same-sex
marriages shows that the editorials opposed the ruling by a 7-4 margin.

Speaking from the town of Oies,
the birthplace of a canonized
Italian missionary to China,
Pope Benedict XVI recently said
China is growing in international
importance but must also “open
up” to Christ.

The Holy Father recently received the bishops of the Chinese dioceses of Hong Kong and Macao.
These two particular Churches, said the Holy Father, are "called to be
witnesses to Christ, to look forward in hope and to announce the Gospel facing up to the new challenges that the people of Hong Kong and Macao must embrace".

As the opening of the Olympic Games nears, three Christian activists
protesting on behalf of religious freedom and human rights were dragged
from Tiananmen Square and detained in Beijing lately.

The idea that "the Pope wears
Prada" sparked hundreds of
newspaper headlines. But media
reveals that those stories are
wrong. The Pope is not
interested in fashion statements.