Marriage in Britain has fallen to its lowest level since records began, new data has revealed.
In figures for 2008, released by the country's Office for National Statistics (ONS), those opting for traditional marriage have dwindled to their lowest number since 1862, with less than two in every 100 women marrying. For the first time, the number of unmarried women outnumbers married.
Additionally, the data reveals that of those who do marry, fewer than one in three couples marries in a church, a trend explained by a 1995 law change to allow for non-church locations for ceremonies. Significantly, the greatest fall in weddings has been among the Catholic community, down by a massive 17,400 on figures for 1981.
Against such trends, the ONS figures also reveal that the number of second and third marriages are also in decline. Having outnumbered 'first-timers' for the preceding four years, 2008 recorded an increase in first-time marriages.
The average age for marriage in Britain is now 33.8 for women (up from 29.1 ten years ago), and 36.5 for men, an increase from 31.2 in the same timeframe.
Vatican
Pope meets the homeless
''Know that the Church loves you profoundly and won't abandon you.''
The words of Pope Benedict XVI last Sunday were delivered during an official visit to a Caritas homeless shelter near Rome's main Termini station. Taking time to visit along with representatives of business and government, the Pontiff stressed the importance of charity in fostering dignity to all present.
''Man doesn't just need to be nurtured materially or helped to overcome moments of difficulty, but he also needs to know who he is and know the truth about himself, about his dignity,'' the Pope said.
Praising those who give their time to the centre and its visitors, the Pope said that by their efforts ''so many people have been able to rediscover dignity and find again trust in themselves and hope in the future''. They, were, he added, living out the Gospel message: ''I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me.''
Secret archives for internet
The Holy See has unveiled plans to upload Secret Archive documents to the internet.
The documents to be made available cover some 9,000 pages and relate to the years 1939 to 1945.
The project to digitise the documents has been undertaken by the Pave the Way Foundation, a body devoted to bringing different faith traditions together, and which has worked hard to fully establish the record of Pope Pius XII during the war.
Gary Krupp of Pave the Way explained that the project was not designed to be ''a substitute for the full access'' to the archives, ''but will absolutely show the unique efforts of Pope Pius XII and the dangers he was forced to operate under a direct threat from the Nazi regime''.
Britain
Funeral pyre for Hindu allowed
A Hindu follower in the country has won the legal right to have his body burned on a funeral pyre.
As a devout Hindu, Davender Ghai believes that only through an open-air pyre can his spirit be released into the afterlife. When Newcastle City Council initially refused his request, Mr Ghai took his case to the High Court where a panel of judges ruled that the request fell within the parameters of current cremation laws.
Spain
Religious symbols move
Catholic groups have begun a campaign to defend the place of religious symbols. Responding to government plans to regulate the public display of such symbols, the groups are calling on the faithful to defend their display in such places as schools, arguing that they are ''part of our daily historical, cultural and spiritual identity''.
Malta
Papal schedule for Malta visit
The schedule for the Pope's official visit has been released. The Pontiff will arrive on the island on the afternoon of April 17 and will visit with the president ahead of a trip to the Grotto of St Paul. April 18 sees the Pope celebrate Mass before travelling by boat for a special meeting with the youth of Malta. He departs for Rome later that day.
Vietnam
Human rights priest very 'ill'
A priest human rights defender is reportedly very ill in prison. According to the US-based Commission on Religious Freedom, Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, who has spent 15 years behind bars is ''deteriorating'' mentally and physically. Fr Van Ly was last in the public spotlight during his 2007 trial on charges of founding a democracy movement.
On that occasion he received a further eight years in prison and five of house arrest for his 'crime'. His previous time in prison was based on charges arising from his defence of religious freedom.
Bangladesh
'Jesus' arrested on fraud charge
A Muslim cleric who claims to be the ''prophet Jesus'' has been arrested on suspicion of fraud.
Ansarul Haq has made his claim for the past two years and in that time gathered about him a group of devoted followers, who believe that the return of the Messiah now signals the end of the world.
However, police have now stepped in as it has emerged that Haq may have been inspiring his followers to actively target non-Muslims for violence.
Australia
Bishops on Facebook
The Australian Bishop's Conference has established a presence on the Facebook social networking site. Containing pictures and information relating to the work of the Conference, anyone can access the page, described as a ''quick and efficient way of finding information about the Catholic Church in Australia, communicate with the bishops, and to understand how the Conference operates''.
China
Catholics honoured
Two practising Catholics have been honoured among the Top 10 people of 2009.
Wang Ping, a 71 year-old farmer who has been motivated by his faith to care for the needy and disabled has been honoured after it emerged that he not only bought a home to house at least 50 people, but that he cared for at least 63 terminally ill people and went on to organise their funerals, and has been publicly vocal on his Catholic beliefs in helping people.
Meanwhile, a 21 year-old Catholic student who died saving a boy from a river has also been honoured for his selfless act of diving into the icy river to rescue the five year-old, John Huang Chuan Ding was noted as a person ''of great moral height''.
Costa Rica
Eucharist outrage
Catholics have been left outraged by the treatment of a Eucharistic host by the girlfriend of a presidential candidate. During a televised Mass, Deborah Formal presented herself for communion while her boyfriend, divorcee Otto Guevara remained in his seat. However, when Ms Formal returned to her own seat, she was pictured biting a portion from her host and slipping it into Guevara's shirt pocket.
