Pope: Practice what you preach

Francis has made himself an example of a more humble and frugal church by refusing many of the papal trappings.

• Pope seeks decisive action against abuse
• Pope chooses hotel stay over new home
• Pope: Translate sacraments into daily life

Pope: Show mercy, don't rush to condemn

Pope Francis, speaking to an overflow crowd of more than 150 000 in St Peter's Square, has urged the world to be more forgiving and merciful.

• Pope makes impromptu appearance
• Pope Francis reaches out to Jews
• Pope Francis: A poor church for the poor

'If I don't marry you, I'll become a priest'

Spurned by puppy love, a young Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, turned to the church.

• New pope warns of dangers of inaction
• Pope Francis first daywatch
• Pope junta claims 'a lie': Archbishop

Women's rights activist strips in Vatican

A young Ukrainian women's rights activist sneaked past security and partially stripped in front the Vatican's Saint-Peter Basilica just after the Pope's Sunday Angelus.

• Yemeni women burn veils in protest
• Egypt women demand equal rights
• Shame on you! women tell Strauss-Kahn

Former Anglican bishops ordained Catholics

Three former Anglican bishops have been ordained as Catholic priests, becoming the first ex-bishops to take advantage of a new Vatican system designed to make it easier for Anglicans to embrace Roman Catholicism.

• Pope John Paul II to be beatified
• Pope: Sex education attack on religion
• Pakistan blasphemy law - official killed

Pope calls for Church talks with Iran

Pope Benedict XVI is calling for talks on the status of the Catholic Church in Iran in a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad released by the Vatican.

• Iraq should protect Christians: Vatican
• 3 dead, 26 hurt as Iraqi Christians attacked
• Pope condemns anti-Christian violence

Cops stop Vatican sex abuse march

Italian paramilitary police are blocking a boulevard leading to the Vatican to prevent a march by survivors of sex abuse by clergy from reaching St Peter's Square.

• Vatican hits out at claims
• US church abuse papers unsealed
• Nuns cool on 'saint of the abused'

Gays blast Rome over abuse link

Italian gay rights supporters have lashed out at the Vatican over remarks shifting blame for the child sex abuse scandal from celibacy to homosexuality.

• Vatican takes stand on abuse
• Vatican's anti-paedophilia guide
• Abuse priests must face justice

Vatican's anti-paedophilia guide

The Vatican will soon publish guidelines for fighting paedophilia within the Roman Catholic Church, it has been reported.

• Pope could meet abuse victims
• Pope resisted defrocking abuser
• Vatican: Anti-Catholic campaign

Crisis costs US church $3bn

The pedophile priest crisis has cost the US Roman Catholic church nearly three billion dollars, but only a fraction of the perpetrators faced prison and little has been done to punish those who covered up the crimes.

• Pope hailed as 'unfailing' leader
• US cardinal protected priest
• Pope skirts paedophilia scandal

Cardinal: Celibacy not the cause

A leading Vatican cardinal has rejected any link between celibacy and the spate of paedophilia scandals within the Roman Catholic Church.

• Abuse scandals taint pope
• Pope takes hardline on priests
• Bishop asks victims to forgive

Vatican: Celibacy, sex unrelated

The Vatican has strongly denied that its celibacy requirement is the root of the sex abuse scandal convulsing the church in Europe.

• Pope's brother apologises
• Pope dismayed by abuse scandal

Vatican to review security

The Vatican will review security procedures after a woman jumped a barrier and rushed at Pope Benedict XVI for the second time in two years.

• Woman 'didn't want to hurt pope'
• Unsteady pope delivers Xmas blessing

Vatican criticises minaret ban

The Vatican has endorsed criticism by Swiss bishops that a vote in Switzerland to ban the construction of mosque minarets is a blow to religious freedom.