By abandoning much of the baroque pomp of his predecessor Benedict, the new pope has already won many admirers, write Philip Pullella and Catherine Hornby

Pope Francis officially began his papacy as the 266th pontiff today in an installation Mass simplified to suit his style, but still grand enough to draw princes, presidents, rabbis, muftis and thousands of ordinary people to St Peter’s Square to witness the inauguration of the first Pope from the New World.

Pope Francis has been praised for his warm relations with other faiths, ahead of today’s papal installation ceremony.

Pope Francis’s diplomatic skills were put to the test yesterday as he met with Argentine president Cristina Kirchner, with whom he has clashed over her socially liberal policies and what he has called the government’s strident displays of power.

Pope Francis’ diplomatic skills are being tested in his first audience with a visiting head of state - Argentine president Cristina Kirchner, with whom he clashed over her socially liberal policies.

Soccer fans are getting into a sinful frenzy and transforming themselves into “monkeys” by watching Euro 2012 matches, a senior Ukrainian cleric said.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has urged the government to listen to protesters demanding free elections.

AS a Serbian-American who lost some 100 relatives during the genocide of Serbian Orthodox Christians in the “independent” state of Croatia during WWII, I write to protest the visit of Pope Benedict to the tomb of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac.

KARIMAN has a plan.

THE leading figures of France’s chief religions are protesting plans by President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party to hold a debate next week on Islam’s role in the country.

A court has convicted a rebel abbot and 13 of his monks of obstructing the functioning of their 1,000-year-old monastery by refusing orders to leave it.

Pope Benedict XVI assured his followers in the Holy Land that peace is possible, as he ended his Middle East visit today by putting aside the contentious issues he has confronted and coming as a pilgrim to the site of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Pope Benedict XVI began a week-long Bible-reading marathon on Italian television – appropriately with “In the beginning”.

THE gardaí and army are the least religiously diverse occupations in the country.

IN towns with populations of less than 10,000 citizens 12% of people are non-Catholic.

Pope Benedict XVI has been greeted in Turkey with a lecture on how the Christian West scorns Islam. He left yesterday with Istanbul’s chief Islamic cleric speaking lyrically of better days ahead between the faiths.

Pope Benedict XVI said today the Vatican wishes to “impose nothing on anyone” in a parting message of goodwill to Muslims at the end of his first papal trip to an Islamic nation.

Pope Benedict XVI called divisions among Christians a “scandal to the world” and recalled the faith's deep roots in Europe at a joint ceremony in Istanbul today with the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians at his ancient enclave.

Pope Benedict XVI and the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians prayed together in an Istanbul church today, a service intended to underline their commitment to try to heal the 1,000-year-old rift between the two churches.

Pope Benedict XVI has urged religious leaders of all faiths to “utterly refuse” to support any form of violence in the name of faith, while Turkey’s top Muslim cleric complained to the pontiff of a growing “Islamophobia” in the world.

Guarantees of religious freedom are essential for a just society, Pope Benedict XVI said today following meetings with the Islamic cleric who oversees Turkey’s religious affairs.

CHANTING Islamist slogans and brandishing banners against Western intervention in the Middle East, thousands of people have rallied in Turkey to denounce the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

Tens of thousands of people chanted slogans against Pope Benedict XVI and waved banners against his upcoming visit in a defiant display of the pro-Islamic anger that could await the pontiff on his first papal trip to a mostly Muslim nation.

A leading Turkish cleric today called criticism of Islam a serious threat to world peace as Turkey prepared for a controversial visit by Pope Benedict XVI later in the month.

Turks have today demanded Pope Benedict XVI make amends over comments on Islam that enraged Muslims before visiting the predominantly Muslim country in November.

Catholic bishops met in Istanbul today and decided the Pope’s visit to Turkey in November should go ahead despite anger in the Islamic world over his comments about Islam and holy war, Vatican spokesman George Marovic said.

Church leaders, politicians and believers across the country began celebrations of Russian Orthodox Christmas on the eve of the holiday Friday, with President Vladimir Putin sending greetings to the faithful.

POPE Benedict XVI made the first appearance of his papacy at the window of his apartment yesterday, telling tens of thousands of faithful and curious he was keeping up the cherished tradition of his beloved predecessor, John Paul II, who had last appeared to crowds in St Peter’s Square in silent suffering.

Pope Benedict XVI today made the first appearance of his papacy at the window of his apartment, telling tens of thousands of faithful and curious he was keeping up the cherished tradition of his beloved predecessor, John Paul II, who had last appeared to crowds in St. Peter’s Square in silent suffering.

Pope Benedict XVI today made the first window appearance of his papacy, saying he was keeping up the popular tradition of his “beloved” predecessor, John Paul II, who last appeared to crowds in St Peter’s Square in silent suffering.

THE worldwide outpouring of affection for Pope John Paul II may have convinced the cardinals choosing his successor that today’s Roman Catholic Church has no room for a so-called “transitional” leader.

CATHOLICISM never looked as universal, the original meaning of ‘catholic’, as it did when it paid final homage yesterday to Pope John Paul, one of the giants of the Church’s 2,000-year history.

The Christian Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria was killed today when an army helicopter that was transporting him and his entourage to a monastic enclave in northern Greece crashed in the sea, government and church officials said.

Pope John Paul II believes “the time is ripe” to return a revered icon to Russia, hoping to give a major push to improving relations between Catholics and Russian Orthodox Christians, his spokesman said today.

The Central Statistics Office has reported a massive increase in the number of Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Ireland between 1991 and 2002.

The Vatican acknowledged for the first time today that it may have to curtail papal travel because of Pope John Paul II’s feeble condition, suggesting that planned stops in Mexico and Guatemala in July could be dropped.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators moved into what could be the final phase of talks aimed at breaking the month-old deadlock at one of Christianity’s holiest shrines today, as Orthodox Christians marked their Easter holiday.

Pope John Paul II was today heading for Malta - a bastion of his own church - to close a journey that challenged the stamina of the frail pontiff amid momentous gestures for religious reconciliation with others.