Vatican City - The Vatican inaugurated Wednesday its new solar power energy system, which will heat the hall where Pope Benedict XVI holds his weekly general audience - in a move in keeping with the pontiff's concern for environmental issues.

Benedict, together with the visiting Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Aram I, joined hundreds of people gathered in the Paul VI Hall, inside Vatican City, for the ceremony.

Built in 1971, the structure, one of the Vatican's most modern, recently had its 5,000 square-metre roof covered by 2,400 photovoltaic panels.

Vatican City - School certificates from Catholic schools and church weddings officiated by priests will receive legal recognition in Brazil under an accord reached Thursday between Brazil and the Vatican.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorin inked the accord for Brazil in a Vatican City signing ceremony. Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone and the Holy See's "foreign minister" Dominique Mamberti signed the agreement for their side.

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI and the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Shaykh Mustafa Ceric, clasped hands and then hugged Thursday as the pontiff met participants at historic talks aimed at defusing tensions between Catholics and Muslims.

Vatican City  - Pope Benedict XVI celebrated All Saints Day Saturday by urging the faithful to follow the example of the Christian martyrs and other men and women who dedicated their lives to God.

Benedict made the appeal when he delivered the noon Angelus blessing before thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square.

Among those present were participants in the "Race of the Saints" a 10 kilometre run through Rome in which the Italian capital's Mayor Gianni Alemanno also took part.

Vatican City - Secret Vatican archives on Pope Pius XII's controversial World War II pontificate will not be made public for at least another "six or seven years," the papal spokesman said Thursday.

"Before then, it is unrealistic to think (they) will be made accessible to researchers," Father Federico Lombardi was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday delivered an impassioned defence of Pope Pius XII's World War II record, but stopped short of indicating if or when he will approve the controversial pontiff's path towards sainthood.

Benedict celebrated a Mass in St Peter's Basilica commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Pius, who some accuse of having failed to speak out against the Nazi massacre of the Jews.