The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has admitted to being "shocked and surprised" by the announcement today that Pope Benedict XVI will retire at the end of the month.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols said it was a decision "of great courage and characteristic clarity of mind and action."

"The Holy Father recognizes the challenges facing the Church and that 'strength of mind and body are necessary' for his tasks of governing the Church and proclaiming the Gospel.

"I salute his courage and his decision," he said. more >>

A farmer in the United Kingdom is garnering media attention for a maze of trees he planted and pruned to spell out a biblical message when viewed from above.

Peter Gunner, who is in his early 60s, has spent twenty years caring for the trees that are planted in a field in Whitesmith, East Sussex, England, reports SWNS.com. The field is located on the farm where Gunner lives with his wife, Faith.

When viewed from above the trees make reference to the first part of John 14:6, which says, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.'" more >>

The Sunday Assembly, an atheistic church in London, England, is growing, and managed to attract 300 people in its second gathering, 100 more than their first gathering in January.

"I feel sorry for the church next door, waiting for their three people to trickle in," said Nick Julius, one of the members of this new Assembly, which seeks to celebrate community without the "dogma" of religion, according to The Guardian.

Started by British comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, the Sunday Assembly meets every month in north London at the site of a former Christian church. The organizers have described the idea behind this atheist church as "a godless congregation that meets … to hear great talks, sing songs and generally celebrate life." more >>

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, defeated prominent atheist professor, Richard Dawkins, in a debate at the University of Cambridge in England on Thursday night, as a vote taken at the conclusion of the debate ruled that religion does have a place in the 21st century.

The debate motion that "religion has no place in the 21st Century" was well-defeated at the event held in front of an audience of about 800 people, mostly students, at the Cambridge Union Society's chambers, according to the U.K.'s Independent newspaper.

Dawkins lost the debate by 324 votes to 136, as he failed to convince the house that religion has no place. more >>

At least three people are believed to have been killed after a suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, with Islamic terrorist group al-Qaida believed to be the prime suspects.

The bomber, who has not yet been identified, apparently entered the embassy and got through the first X-ray machine leading to the visa section, before he detonated himself, NBC News reported. Among those killed was one of the guards at the gate, and another unidentified person is believed to have also been killed. Turkish TV showed an injured woman being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance.

The U.S. Embassy's Twitter account confirmed the bombing, and assured that "appropriate measures were taken," promising that more information would be revealed when it becomes available. more >>

Correction appended

At a summit in Kiev, Ukraine, next week, pastors from Russia and other Eastern European nations will be provided with encouragement and guidance to solve the orphan crises in their nations through adoption and other programs. The Church is the only organization with the resources and mandate to solve the problem, Paul Pennington, executive director and founder of Hope for Orphans and one of the summit's organizers, told The Christian Post Tuesday.

About 500 pastors from Belarus, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe are expected to attend the Feb. 6-7 event, which is hosted by The Alliance for Ukraine Without Orphans, Russia Without Orphans and Hope for Orphans. Hope for Orphans is a ministry of FamilyLife, a division of Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. more >>