ARCHBISHOP of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin has described claims that he’s going to Rome to take up a senior position in the Curia as “a pure invention”.

Pope Benedict XVI today marked the 40th anniversary of a landmark Vatican document on relations with Jews, calling for a renewed commitment for Catholics and Jews to deepen their bonds and work for the good of all humanity.

Pope Benedict XVI faced a strong challenge for the papacy from an Argentine cardinal, a secret diary kept by a member of the conclave that elected him to the Holy See revealed today.

Brother Roger, the founder of an ecumenical Christian community who was murdered last week during a prayer service, is being buried today in a funeral ceremony expected to draw thousands.

Pope Benedict XVI today met with the leader of the World Council of Churches in another indication of his attempts to improve relations with other Christians and heal the 1,000-year-old rift with the Orthodox Church.

Pope Benedict XVI pledged today to work to end the 1,000-year-old rift with the Orthodox church, sending a message of healing from a city with close ties to the Orthodox.

Pope Benedict XVI began his first papal trip today with a visit to the eastern seaport of Bari, a brief but symbolic outing that follows in the much-travelled footsteps of his predecessor.

POPE John Paul II said he hoped the return of a precious icon to the Russian Orthodox Church would hasten “mutual understanding and reconciliation” between the Roman Catholic Church and its eastern counterpart.

In the week he celebrated mass in the Vatican with the Blair family, the Pope today appeared to attack Tony Blair over Iraq.