With less than three weeks until the Pope’s arrival, Chilean authorities said they were working with the Roman Catholic Church to prepare for an onslaught of tourists at the peak of the austral summer, a traditional time for vacationing in both countries.

“We are going to see a record number of (foreign) visitors,” Reginaldo Flores, the head of the interior ministry’s border crossings unit, told reporters.

Starting in Chile on Jan. 15, the Argentine pontiff will go to the cities of Santiago, Temuco and Iquique, before heading to Peru, where he will stop in Lima, Puerto Maldonado and Trujillo.

A planned mass in the Chilean capital of Santiago is expected to attract more than 500,000 people. Thousands of police officers will be present, officials said.

Since his election to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in 2013, Francis, the first Latin American pope, has visited Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Cuba and Mexico, but has not made a pastoral trip to Argentina.

The report, “Cathedrals and their communities”, is the culmination of a year-long tour which saw the Minister for Faith, Lord Bourne visit all of England’s 42 Anglican cathedrals to better understand their continued importance both to local communities and wider society.

The report highlights cathedrals as diverse churches that are not only important sacred centres of worship but also places of valued social support and community and interfaith engagement.

Minister for Faith Lord Bourne said: “There is no better time to remind ourselves of the strong role cathedrals play in our national life than at Christmas, as worshippers gather in naves across the country to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

“This year-long tour has given me a real understanding of how the innovation and vibrancy displayed by cathedral staff and their congregations is ensuring that these important churches continue to play a crucial role at the heart of local communities now and for centuries to come.”

The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Chairman of the Association of English Cathedrals, also added:

“Lord Bourne’s report is a really helpful endorsement of all that our English cathedrals are trying to be and do. We want to continue as places of welcome and be able to offer spiritual hospitality and friendship to all. We’re grateful to the Government for taking the time and trouble to conduct such a thorough programme of visits and investigation and for finding out…

According to the Daily Mail Australia, the church with a striking view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been forced to cancel its event over terrorist attack concerns.

The mowing down of pedestrians in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall in January, which killed six people and injured 30 others, has changed the way people can enjoy the traditional Sydney Harbour fireworks. Also in December, a car again ploughed into pedestrians in downtown Melbourne, injuring 20 people.

According to the senior minister of the church, in previous years the church has worked with council and the police to block off the street with barriers.  However, new rules and tightened security measures have made this more difficult.

The minister of St Aidan’s Rector Craig Potter told the North Shore Times, “This year, because of what has happened in Melbourne with the two vehicles that have gone through crowds, it has changed the rules with street parties,”

The church has a budget of $3000 to stage the event but the additional security measures, including the hire of a traffic management company and security staff, would see the expense exceed $10,000.

Despite the disappointment, Potter said he understood the police concerns and was happy to be bound by them.

While residents are making alternative plans this year, the church is already planning to resurrect the event for 2018.

According to their website, “due to changes in Security Regulations, St Aidan’s NYE community festival is…

For two hundred years, marriage certificates have recorded the names and occupations of the fathers of the bride and groom, but not those of their mothers. The omission of mothers’ names from marriage certificates has been in force since the civil registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1837.

However, a cross-party campaign, led by Christian MP Dame Caroline Spelman and the Bishop of St Albans will ensure that this changes from 2018.

Dame Spelman is the Church of England’s official representative in the Commons while Reverend Alan Smith sits in the House of Lords.

They both presented identical bills in both chambers.

According to the paper, previous proposals were not taken further as they required that tens of thousands of register books be replaced and it also did not allow for same-sex marriages.

This will also include changes on civil partnership certificates.

The change was previously estimated to cost £13 million.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Harry Benson, Research Director of the Marriage Foundation said: “Having only the father’s name on the certificate is one reason why people mistakenly think marriage can be a patriarchal institution.”

Adrienne Burgess, joint chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, also told The Sunday Times that this change was long overdue.

Spelman is a patron of the Conservative Christian Fellowship.

Monsignor John Delaney scooped a huge €500,000 with a quick pick ticket while at home for Christmas in Ireland in Donnybrook Fair in Malahide.

The minister is originally from Farmhill, Crossboyne in Co Mayo, but has now retired and lives in Florida,

Msgnr Delaney joked that God must be listening to his prayers – because this is not his first lottery win.

He said that he had previously won £15,000 Irish pounds on the old Irish Sweepstakes.

According to Dublin Live, he had also won amounts of $3,000 and $5,000 over the years in lotteries in the States.

Describing how he learned of his win, he said that he heard on Saturday that one of two winning EuroMillions Plus tickets was purchased in Donnybrook Fair in Malahide.

He added: “I didn’t get too excited when I heard this first. I went back to the shop and gave the ticket to the same girl I had purchased it from to be checked.

“Lo and behold there was a message on the system to contact the National Lottery! So I knew at that stage I had won.”

Delaney regularly visits Ireland and said he spent a lovely Christmas Day with relatives in Dublin.

He said: “I am a big believer that what goes around comes around. This is a huge amount of money and I look forward to giving some back.”

Msgr Delaney told The Irish Times: “God gave it to me for some reason and I will give it away.”

He has promised that he will share his winnings with those in need.