Pope Benedict XVI has offered condolences following the death of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II.

Pope Benedict XVI created India's first woman saint, and denounced anti-Christian violence in that country. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome Sister Alphonsa was among four new saints canonized by the pope in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Square.

Hundreds of thousands of people have greeted the Pope on his official arrival for World Youth Day in the Australian city, Sydney. The pontiff has praised the Australian government for apologizing to the country's indigenous people for past injustices. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Autism Campaigners have urged Pope Benedict XVI to provide guidelines to the Roman Catholic Church on how to deal with children and adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome in the light of the banning of a 13 year old boy with autism, Adam Race from the Church of St.Joseph in Bertha, Minnesota.

On the last day of his pontifical visit to United States Pope Benedict XVI started this Sunday by visiting the Ground Zero to pray for the innocent victims 9/11 in New York City, bringing the message of peace.

Today I was watching the Youth Rally with Pope Benedict at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, NC and I saw Popemobile's License Plate Number.

Addressing the sexual abuse in the church that caused so much damage to the Catholic Church in USA on Saturday Pope Benedict XVI called on the US clergy and nuns to work together to overcome the divisions in the church, stating that this is a time of "healing" and "purification."

Pope Benedict says it is the duty of all nations to protect people from grave human rights violations and humanitarian crises.

Pope Benedict XVI leaves Washington Friday for New York City, marking the second leg of his inaugural U.S. tour. Several times during the visit, he has addressed the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests - a scandal that has rocked the church. On Thursday, he made history by meeting with a group of victims for the first time.

On Friday evening Pope Benedict XVI visits the Park East Synagogue New York where he will gift a faithful copy of a page taken from an illuminated parchment in the Vatican Apostolic Library.

Pope Benedict XVI becomes the first Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to meet with the victims of the sexual abuse and comfort them.

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out. Two weeks before the beginning of his trip to the United States, his spokesperson Federico Lombardi S.J. said the pope would tackle the delicate issue of the pedophile priests, who have brought the Catholic church into disrepute since 2003.