The 23th-27th January trip, which was expected, will be Francis’ third World Youth Day.

He attended the event in Brazil in 2013, months after his election, and in Poland in 2016 (pictured below).

A brief statement from the Vatican said the pope had accepted an invitation from the Panamanian government and Catholic bishops to visit.

There have been calls for Francis to stop in El Salvador en route to or from Panama to pray at the tomb of murdered Archbishop Oscar Romero, whom Francis plans to make a saint in October at the Vatican.

The statement on Monday made no mention of a Salvador leg of the January trip.

While in Panama, Francis is expected to consecrate a colonial-era basilica that recently was restored.

Panamanian organisers said they also were looking to set up papal visits to people who are sick or living on the margins, typical stops during Francis’ trips abroad.

President Juan Carlos Varela tweeted that he “shares the joy and excitement of the Panamanian people” and promised full government support for the pope’s visit.

Reporting by Associated Press.

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The amount of regular giving declined by £1.35 million – or 0.4 per cent – between 2015 and 2016, from £337.5 million to £336.15 million, leaders meeting in York have been told.

Addressing members of the Church’s governing body, General Synod, the chair of the Archbishop Council’s financial committee, John Spence, said the way younger people give to the church is changing.

During a meeting in York, he was quoted by The Times as saying: “The numbers of people in our ‘planned giving’ scheme have declined by 13 per cent since 2010 [but] individual commitments have grown by 27 per cent, allowing the overall sum to rise by ten per cent.

“But in 2016, for the first time, the total coming out of planned giving declined.

“Planned giving is not the way that young generations operate.”

General Synod member, Canon Jonathan Ford told Premier’s Inspirational Breakfast it was unrealistic to expect younger people to be able to give as much money to the Church as previous generations have.

He explained: “We actually had a millennial [younger person] taking part in that debate who told us about the fact that she doesn’t give very much because, actually, she isn’t earning because she’s doing all this other stuff.

“What she does do is a huge amount of voluntary work but, as soon as she does start earning, she does start giving.

“Millennials not giving [to the Church] is to do…

According to the Golan Regional Council, a team of 20 experts and director of the Bethsaida Project, Dr Rami Arav, discovered brick that dates back to between 1000 BC to 586 BC.

The discovery in an area now called Bethsaida is an ancient fishing village mentioned several times in the New Testament as a city Jesus both lived in and where he miraculously fed a multitude of people.

Dr Arav told the Jerusalem Post: “There are not many gates in this country from this period. Bethsaida was the name of the city during the Second Temple period, but during the First Temple period it was the city of Zer.”

Excavations of the area began nearly 30 years ago when Dr Arav on behalf of the University of Nebraska identified the ancient Bethsaida.

The site has since become a destination of Christian pilgrimage.

Avi Lieberman, director of the Jordan Park where Bethsaida is located, said he believed the discovery would lead to even more Christians from all over the world visiting the ancient city.

He explained: “The wonderful park is also an impressive archaeological site. I am amazed each time by the arrival of thousands of evangelical visitors to Bethsaida.

“I am confident that the latest discoveries will bring more visitors to the park from around the world and from Israel.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian…

76 year old Williams, whose biggest hit was with the song My Girl in 1964 said he had no intention of retiring as he embarks on a UK tour.

“I thank God every day for letting me stick around to do what we are doing. Here we are, doing what we love and being appreciated,” he said.

The Temptations will be touring with with fellow 60s and 70s band The Four Tops, both of whom were signed to Motown Records.

The Temptations will be touring with with fellow 60s and 70s band The Four Tops, both of whom were signed to Motown Records.

Two members of the original line up of The Temptations, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, started singing in church together years before Otis Williams formed the band.

Williams, who is now the only surviving member of the original line-up, told Press Association: “I’m always excited to come back to England, it’s my second home because the people are so lovely and loving and supporting of Motown artists. They know everything about it and show us love every time. They sometimes love us more than America does.”

When asked why Britain loves their music he replied: “First and foremost it’s the music. The music in Motown that came along at that time is tried and tested and 60 years later is still loved, not just in England but around the world. But England shows a different kind of love for Motown.

“I love me some London. If I was to move to England, it…

On Saturday members of the General Synod met in York for and voted unanimously in favour of developing an independent ombudsman service which would handle complaints relating to how safeguarding cases have been managed in the church.

The decision came after members of the Church’s legislative body heard a report by the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG).

The report asked the almost 500 members of the General Synod to strengthen support and engagement with victims and survivors of abuse, as well as implement more robust processes for clergy selection and discipline.

It also urged the hundreds of bishops, clergy and lay people to support increased oversight and scrutiny in regards to safeguarding.  

A victim of sexual abuse addressed the synod for the first time ever during the safeguarding debate.

#Synod‘s standing ovation for Jo Kind pic.twitter.com/BFBhdMANMy

— CofE General Synod (@synod) July 7, 2018

Jo Kind received a standing ovation after talking about the harm caused to victims when the Church has been defective on sexual abuse.

She called on the Church of England to have a full focus on survivors and not “half an eye on reputation protection”.

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Dr David Mackereth claimed he has been deemed “unfit” to work as an assessor at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over his view that gender is defined by God.

Concerned other professionals could be dismissed for holding such views, the 55-year-old father-of-four told the Sunday Telegraph: “I’m not attacking the transgender movement.

“But, I’m defending my right to freedom of speech, and freedom of belief.”

Dr Mackereth, who had a 26-year career as an NHS doctor, began training in May this year to become a health and disability assessor at the DWP.

The Reformed Baptist from Dudley reported that he was taken aside after questioning his instructor’s teaching that said patients should be referred to according to the gender they identified as.

He continued: “I said that I had a problem with this. I believe that gender is defined by biology and genetics. And that as a Christian the Bible teaches us that God made humans male or female.

“I could have kept my mouth shut. But, it was the right time to raise it.”

Dr Mackereth subsequently received an email from the agency that employed him and would have contracted his services out to the DWP, saying such an attitude could be considered harassment under the 2010 Equality Act. He was invited to undergo further training.

He responded that he could not bow to the demands being made of him, and the contract was ended as a…