A University of Alabama professor who recently studied in China for several months reports that
Catholics in the country are
enjoying freedoms but are
anxious about government
monitoring and “terrified”
their liberties may be swiftly taken away.

A Vatican spokesman has called Benedict XVI’s determination to
Jerusalem is “courageous decision.”According to sources in Rome and
Jerusalem, the Pontiff will travel to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian
territories during the second week of May.

For the occasion of Benedict XVI’s forthcoming apostolic trip to
Cameroon and Angola, due to take place from 17 to 23 March, statistics
have been released concerning the Catholic Church in those two African
countries.

Catholics and Muslims meeting at the Vatican recently discussed the
responsibilities of religious leaders during times of crisis, agreeing that
their most important responsibility is to faithfully live out their beliefs
through “teaching, good deeds and example.”

A new survey of denominational
loyalty reports that churchgoing
Catholics are significantly less
likely than churchgoing
Protestants to change
denomination.
Six out ten active Catholics
would only consider attending a
Catholic church, by contrast, only 16 percent of Protestant churchgoers
will only consider attending a church of their present denomination.

Benedict XVI is underscoring the importance of his apostolic trips in
2008—to the United States, France and Australia. He said the apostolic
journeys were about the “presence of the word of God, of God himself
in the current moment of history, the purpose of these trips can only
be to serve this presence of God.”

Google, a symbol of the seemingly endless possibilities of the
internet, will team up with Vatican Television Center and Vatican
Radio in a joint venture to give
Benedict XVI his own YouTube
channel.

The Pope invited all to pray for an end to the war in Gaza, recalling
that hatred and war do not resolve problems. He said, "I am deeply
worried about the violent armed confrontations that are taking place on
the Gaza border."

Pope Benedict XVI has sent a telegram to incoming US President Barack Obama, offering his prayerful best wishes and urging the American leader to “promote understanding, cooperation, and peace among the
nations.”

Benedict XVI is inviting Christians to “be not afraid,” despite
economic shadows hanging over 2009.He said this year closes with the awareness of a growing
economic and social crisis that
already concerns the entire world, though not a few shadows are appearing on the horizon of our future,
we should not be afraid.