Addressing a packed St. Peter’s Square on Christmas Day, the pope calls for “an end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed.”

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Pope prays for peace, comfort, reconciliation

Mobile phone throwing, the Pope and the chocolate piano and dog yoga. It’s the week’s weird and wonderful video stories in Newsbeat’s Odd Box with Dominic Byrne.

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VIDEO: And stretch… dog yoga on Odd Box

Thousands of protesters have rallied in the Spanish capital, Madrid, against the cost of a visit by the Pope, hours before he is due to arrive.

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VIDEO: Madrid protests ahead of Pope’s visit

A Commons committee asks ministers to explain why £1.85m of foreign aid money was spent on the Pope’s UK visit in September.

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Aid money ‘spent on Pope visit’

The SFA reinstates three members of staff who were sacked for sending a tasteless e-mail about the Pope.

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SFA reinstates ‘Pope e-mail’ trio

Britain’s ambassador to the Vatican feared a backlash over the Pope’s invitation to Anglicans to switch churches, according to US cables.

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Pope Anglican offer ‘dented ties’

Hugh Dallas parts company with the Scottish FA after the head of referees is accused of sending a tasteless e-mail about the Pope.

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Referees’ chief Dallas leaves SFA

The Catholic Church want the Scottish Football Association to sack head of refereeing Hugh Dallas if he is found to have sent an “offensive” email about the Pope.

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Church wants Dallas transparency

Does this mean female condoms have the seal of papal approval? A spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed that the pope’s remarks that a male prostitute would be justified in using a condom to protect his client from contracting AIDS was meant to…

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Pope: Ladies Can Use Condoms, Too

The Pope’s shift on condom use is necessary and welcome.

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Pope Benedict gets real on condoms

In an expansive interview, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan discussed the large exodus of Roman Catholics from the church and the pope’s recent comments on condoms.

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A New Leader Confronts Disaffection in Catholics

Campaigners welcome the Pope’s comments that the use of condoms may be acceptable in exceptional cases, to prevent the spread of HIV.

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Pope’s condom comments welcomed

The Vatican says it is preparing guidelines on how to prevent clerical sex abuse, as the Pope holds a rare meeting with about 150 cardinals from around the world.

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Vatican to issue abuse guidelines

The producers of The Simpsons have contradicted the Pope’s official newspaper by declaring that the animated family are not Catholic.

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D’oh! ‘Simpsons are not Catholic’, say producers

The first Anglican vicar to take up the Pope’s offer of conversion to Catholicism over the issue of women bishops has said there is nothing left to fight for.

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Anglican church turns towards Rome