Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday said people should build Nativity scenes for Christmas to help recreate the "mystery" of Jesus' birth on earth.

Benedict, speaking during his weekly general audience, was referring to the practice of using statuettes or carvings to represent the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as celebrated by Christians at Christmas.

The Nativity scene or crib "is an important element, not only of our faith but also of Christian art and culture," Benedict said.

Taipei  - Pope Benedict XVI has turned down the invitation from the Archbishop of the Taipei Archdiocese to visit Taiwan next year, news reports said Sunday.

The Central News Agency said that Archbishop John Hung extended the invitation to the pope during his week-long visit to the Holy See which ended on Sunday.

During two audiences, Hung invited the pope to attend celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic church in Taiwan. The pope only smiled and gave no affirmative answer.

A Vatican official told Hung that the pope had a busy scheduled for the next two years, so he probably would not be able to visit Taiwan. But he would send an envoy to preside over the celebrations in Taiwan.

JERUSALEM,  Nov. 27 -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted an invitation from President Shimon Peres to visit Israel in May, sources say.

The visit has not been officially announced by either the Vatican or the Israeli government, Haaretz reported.

The newspaper said that Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Franco, the Vatican representative in Israel, told Peres two weeks ago that the pope would accept an invitation if one was offered. Peres then invited a visit and received an acceptance.

Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday sent condolences to the victims of the attacks in Mumbai, India, saying such terrorist acts "gravely offend the human family."

Benedict's message was contained in a telegram sent by the Vatican to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Mumbai, Cardinal Oswald Gracias.

Vatican City  - Pope Benedict XVI's spokesman on Thursday renewed an appeal for the release of two Italian Roman Catholic nuns believed to have been abducted from Kenya by Somali Islamists earlier this month.

"More than a fortnight has passed since the two Italian nuns, Sister Maria Teresa Olivero and Sister Caterina Giraudo, were abducted in Kenya, where they are well-known for their generous dedication to the very poor," Father Federico Lombardi said in Vatican statement.

Benedict was following "the protraction of their kidnapping with concern," Lombardi said.

Vatican City - Diplomatic "contacts" are under way for a possible visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Israel and the Palestinian Territories in 2009, the papal spokesman said Thursday.

Father Federico Lombardi was commenting on a report by an Israeli newspaper that the pontiff was set to visit the Holy Land in May 2009.

Lombardi said no definite date had been set since the Vatican was still "studying" the situation.

Tel Aviv-based daily Haaretz said in its online English version that Benedict had accepted an invitation by Israeli President Shimon Peres.