Religious leaders and the founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab today discussed the possibility of establishing a Global Forum on Ethics.The issue of ethics has been high on the agenda at the Davos summit with Mr Schwab saying he wants this year's forum to place particular emphasis on it. He also stressed the importance of resetting the moral compass of the world's business and political community. The President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson is participating at Davos.

Christian Unity was at the centre of Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks Friday to the participants in the Plenary Session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Holy Father expressed the hope that the Congregation might work closely and in a spirit of fraternity with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in order efficaciously to promote the re-establishment of full unity among Christians.

2012-01-27 CTV - Octava Dies.

The bishops of the United States continue their ad limina visits this week, with bishops from the southeastern part of the country in Rome to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and meet with the Holy Father and curial officials. In his most recent discourse to the visiting prelates, Pope Benedict XVI focused especially on religious liberty, celebrating it as the “most American of freedoms” and encouraging the bishops to defend their place and maintain their presence in the public square.

"In a while, even the last of us who were part of this enormous tragedy, will not be here any more. Time will erase the memories of those who are still living, dispersing to the wind the sacrifice of an entirer generation". This is a roughly translated quote from a book by by World War II British Army veteran Harry Shindler and Marco Patucchi entitled "My war is not over".

The Rector of the Venerable English College here in Rome Monsignor Nicholas Hudson is hosting celebrations this weekend to mark six centuries and a half since the founding of the English and Welsh Hospice in Rome. Monsignor Hudson shares the story with Veronica Scarisbrick , explaining the weekend events as he goes along.

“Substantial progress” was made toward a final agreement on outstanding matters in negotiations between the Holy See and the state of Israel aimed at implementing the Fundamental Agreement reached in 1993. The Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, Archbishop Antonio Franco spoke with us following the conclusion of a high-level meeting Thursday at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Holy See Press Office Director, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., issued the following statement Thursday concerning a television programme, "Gli intoccabili" [The Untouchables] transmitted Wednesday evening by Italy's "La7" television network. Fr. Lombardi highlights the "questionable journalistic methods" with which the programme was made, and his "disappointment at the revelation of reserved documents", noting that such things often form part of the "biased coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church".

The Holy See, acting also in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, has adhered to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (New York, 1999) and to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (Palermo, 2000). On the same date (January 25 th ) the Holy See ratified, likewise in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Vienna, 1988), which it had already signed in the year in which it was adopted.

This year the Pontifical Seminaries of Campania, Calabria and Umbria in Italy are celebrating the Centenary of their inauguration and it was on this occasion that Pope Benedict meet with Staff and Seminarians of these institutions on Thursday in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. The Pope speaking to those gathered underlined the important role regional seminaries play in the life of a diocese adding, that they are places that foster knowledge, encourage an ability to work together and provide an enriching ecclesial experience for future priests.