Pope attacks current of ‘aggressive secularism’ in Britain

Pope Benedict XVI has begun his four-day visit to Britain with a warning against “aggressive forms of secularism” that are failing to tolerate traditional values.

Addressing the Queen and other leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Deputy Prime Minister, the Pope spoke of the "Nazi tryanny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews".

He said: "As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget, how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a 'reductive vision of the person and his destiny'.".

Pope Benedict XVI rides in the Popemobile down Edinburgh's Princes Street on the first day of his four day visit to the United Kingdom

Pope expresses ‘sorrow and shame’ over child abuse

The Pope apologised again for the Catholic Church’s handling of child abuse in a meeting with victims yesterday.

The Pope spent 40 minutes yesterday with five people who had been abused by Catholic priests as children.

The Pope spoke of his “sorrow and shame” suffered by victims and prayed with them.

A spokesperson for the Pope said: “He was moved by what they had to say and expressed his deep sorrow and shame over what victims and their families had suffered.

“As he has done on other occasions, he prayed that all the victims of abuse might experience healing and reconciliation, and be able to overcome their past and present distress with serenity and hope for the future.”

N.Y. School District Changes Its Anti-Rosary Policy

A school district in New York has decided to eliminate a policy that prohibited students from wearing rosary beads following a months-long battle with a Christian legal group.

The decision from the Schenectady school district followed a suit filed by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) on behalf of then-seventh grader Raymond Hosier challenging the constitutionality of the no-rosary policy.

"This policy change represents a critical victory for religious freedom as well as our client and all students in the school district," said ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow in a statement Thursday. “It's our view that this discriminatory policy violated our client's constitutionally protected rights of free speech and free exercise of religion.”

Christian Leaders Admit Church Unity Still Long Way Off

Ecumenical, evangelical and Roman Catholic leaders have conceded that there are still many obstacles to unity in the body of Christ but stress they remain committed to the journey.

Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance, and the Most Rev. Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, were speaking to journalists on Saturday at Edinburgh 2010, a major conference taking place this week to mark 100 years since the World Missionary Conference was held in the Scottish capital in 1910.

Bishop Farrell was the least optimistic about efforts towards unity.

Church grieves for Air India crash victims

Friends and relatives of victims of an Air India Express plane crash attend a prayer meeting at a church in Mangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka

The Catholic Church has expressed its sorrow over the deaths of 158 people who died when an Air India flight crashed in Mangalore on Saturday.

President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, said in a message of condolence that the Church in India was grieving over the "great loss of life in the air tragedy".

"We are aware that words cannot take away the grief, sorrow and pain, but we offer our prayers and solidarity to the families," he said.

"The Church prays that those who have survived this ordeal may soon recover.

"We extend all support to the survivors to enable them to cope and recover, and to help them in all ways possible.