In what will be seen as a significant step in Christian-Jewish relations, Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Synagogue of Rome on 17 January 2010, the Vatican has announced.

For the first time in Germany, a Protestant church has been turned into a synagogue. The Rev Alfred Buss of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia, where it is located, said the new place of worship is a "house of hope".

Clergy who usually wear dog collars in public are being advised by a safety group to take them off when they are on their own, to reduce the risk of being attacked. But others believe security consciousness should not undermine the character of Christian service.

The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has called for a binding international treaty to protect churches, mosques, synagogues and other sites of spiritual significance.