On Monday, July 30, 2007, the Chancery of the Orthodox Church in America was informed that His Beatitude, Patriarch Teoctist, Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Romania, had died at the age of 92.

Pope Benedict XVI has approved a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.

One of the world's leading Christian conferences and a marathon call to prayer are among the many live events to be broadcast on the USA's newest Christian broadcaster, GOD TV, this summer.

The Vatican on Saturday made public a letter Pope Benedict wrote to Catholics in China. In the letter, the pope said it is a priority of his papacy to restore diplomatic ties between the Vatican and China. The pope also extended an olive branch to Beijing, saying he hoped to reach an agreement with the officially atheist state, where millions of Catholics pray under a state-controlled church that does not recognize his authority. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Police in Turkey have detained five more suspects in connection with an attack against a Christian publishing house in the conservative eastern city of Malatya. Three employees were killed Wednesday by knife-wielding assailants, who reportedly said they were acting to protect Islam. From Istanbul, Amberin Zaman reports for the VOA.

Turkish officials say three people were killed Wednesday at a publishing house that printed Bibles. They say the attackers slit the throats of the victims at the Zirve publishing house in the city of Malatya.

The Russian Orthodox Church started celebrating Easter with a divine service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow yesterday. The service was led by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksi II.

Thousands of Christian worshippers packed into their most revered church on Saturday, lighting row upon row of candles, pouring hot wax onto their faces and dancing in celebration of the Orthodox churches' Easter 'holy fire' ritual.

Recent television images of Russian President Vladimir Putin have shown him lighting candles at the Vatican and praying on the edge of the Jordan River.

Millions of Christians worldwide are celebrating Easter weekend, the climax of the Christian year and Holy Week. Thousands of faithful Christians holding candles joined Pope Benedict XVI on the evening of April 6 for the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, procession.

Thousands of pilgrims retraced Jesus' footsteps as they celebrated Holy Week at the sites where Christians mark his crucifixion, death and resurrection. A decrease in Palestinian-Israeli violence and the overlap of Christian calendars brought a wave of visitors to the Old City.