The Catholic bishop of Osnabrück in northern Germany says the 16th-century Protestant Reformer Martin Luther offers a "positive challenge" to Protestant and Catholic churches.

Protestant Christians are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the French-born reformer who inspired a movement that now has tens of millions of adherents worldwide.

16th-century reformer Jean Calvin can inspire a "reformation of values" in the face of the world's economic and ecological crises, a Swiss politician has said in marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant leader's birth.

The bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover in Germany has issued a strong plea to give the upcoming jubilee of the Reformation a clear emphasis on common Christian witness.

An international expert on church unity has urged the Roman Catholic Church to declare officially that its longstanding excommunication of Martin Luther no longer applies.

History was be made on Saturday 17 January 2009, as the first woman bishop to serve in a British church took office.

A year of public events and discussions to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant reformer Jean Calvin is being launched in Geneva, a cradle of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, part of Switzerland since 1815.

The Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches has launched an interactive website as part of its celebrations to mark the 500th anniversary in 2009 of the birth of Protestant reformer Jean Calvin.

Geneva's International Museum of the Reformation has been awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2007. The president of the council's parliamentary assembly prsented the award earlier this week.