"As a church we say that we need a reduction in the number of refugees," Cardinal Reinhard Marx, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, told the Passauer Neue Presse daily. Germany cannot "take in all the world's needy," Marx added. The question of how to respond to the migrant crisis, he asserted, should not solely be a matter of "charity but also reason." However, Marx also expressed concern at a rise in xenophobia in Germany amid the worst refugee crisis that Europe has known since World War II.

A recent example came when Germany's eurosceptic right-wing populist AfD party suggested last week that police "if need be" should threaten to shoot migrants seeking to enter the country. Border police "should be able if need be to have recourse to their firearms - as laid down by law," said party chairwoman Frauke Petry.

This type of speech is "unacceptable," said Marx, adding "Sadly there has always been a certain potential for right-wing extremism and racism in Germany."

This meeting of the Primates of the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, after a long preparation, will be the first in history and will mark an important stage in relations between the two Churches. The Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate hope that it will also be a sign of hope for all people of good will. They invite all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this meeting, that it may bear good fruits. I ask everyone reading this report, no matter what your confessional Christian identification, to pray for this historic meeting between these two successors of the apostles.

In 1054 AD, the first formal division within what had previously been an undivided Christian Church occurred. The theological and doctrinal issues are substantive and the continuing divisions which followed are tragic. For nearly a thousand years, the prayer of Jesus has cried out to the Father - and reached out to summon all who bear the name Christian. It has beckoned all Christians to humble repentance, fervent prayer, and inspired action to bridge the division and help to heal the wounds:

"I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20, 21)

One of a growing number of signs of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Third Christian Millennium has been the rediscovery between Orthodox and Catholic Christians of our common Baptismal bond as making us truly brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, called in common mission. I believe that the Holy Spirit is gathering a movement of Orthodox and Catholic Christians to collaborate in this critical hour. I have written, spoken and acted to further this work and I am eager to do everything I can to go forward.

There is growing recognition in both the Orthodox and Catholic churches that there is more that joins theologically faithful Catholic Christians and theologically faithful Orthodox Christians than that which still separates us. The urgency of the cultural decline of this age has compelled our collaboration in Jesus Christ. So too has the heartfelt humility of the leaders in both churches who have walked the fruitful way of repentance and forgiveness. It is leading us to a growing mutual respect which will pave the way toward some form of restored full communion between these sister churches.

However, there has been no formal meeting between the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and the Patriarch of all of Russia, in almost one thousand years. That sad fact is soon to be erased from the history books, as the Holy Spirit writes a new chapter in the loving plan of God for the Church of His Son Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the world which He still loves.

As for me, I say, COME HOLY SPIRIT and work a miracle of healing and unity in this urgent hour! May these two Christians experience the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit during their time together and evidence the holy boldness the hour demands. May the Church of Jesus Christ find a way to full communion and common mission.

European leaders are so exasperated with Britain's demands that they are privately saying that "if Brits want to leave, let them leave", the President of the European Parliament has said. Martin Schulz made the comments at a speech in the London School of Economics in central London.

Mr Schulz, who has been the President since 2012, set out why he wants Britain to stay within the European Union, admitting that it "often tests our patience". Mr Schulz also said that MEPs could amend some of David Cameron's EU reforms after the referendum, telling Sky News that "nothing is irreversible", in apparent contradiction of Mr Cameron's claims that they would be binding.

Emergency crews are working to free hundreds more people who are feared trapped after the quake struck the southern city of Tainan at around 4am at the start of the Chinese New Year holidays, according to Taiwan's state news agency.

More than 200 people have so far been freed from collapsed buildings, though hundreds more could still be trapped after the strong earthquake hit at around 4am today. Rescue workers confirmed that 378 people were injured across the city in the quake, with 230 being pulled from the rubble.

The other injuries are believed to have been caused by falling debris.

At least 1,200 firemen and soldiers have been marshaled in order to deal with the crisis, and are now focusing their rescue efforts on the 17-storey building, where it is thought up to 30 people could still be trapped.

For example, President Obama gave a speech at a mosque in the Islamic Society of Baltimore on Wednesday. While standing in front of a glass wall where the word “Allah” was written 99 times in Arabic calligraphy, the President took a stab at Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump by stating there was “inexcusable anti-Islamic rhetoric in the political sphere.” The White House staff were even gifted Qurans at the event.

What makes this entire event a slap in the face to Christians is that while giving a speech at Georgetown University in 2012 the White House told the Catholic school to cover up all religious signs and symbols, including the small letters IHS displayed inside the triangular pediment directly behind and above where the President would stand since the 3 letters signify the name of Jesus Christ. So it should now be obvious to everyone that President Obama does indeed have a double standard when it comes to religions.

Before reading from the Gospel of John, Pelosi talked about the similarity of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. “In the Gospel of John we see the golden rule that stands at the heart of the gospel, and as we hear these words from John 13, 15, and 17, we know that this message, this command of love is not confined to the New Testament,” Pelosi said.

“The same message stands at the center of the Torah and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad too. In the Torah it says, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and from Muhammad, ‘none of you has faith until he loves for his neighbor or brother what he loves for himself.’”

And what we got was a letter from Mr Tusk in which there is no treaty change, no powers returned to the United Kingdom and no control over our borders at all. In fact it was hardly worth the wait, it is really rather pathetic.

But there is of course one more chance for the Prime Minister because he goes to the European Summit in a couple of weeks time and like Oliver Twist he will parade in front of the other leaders and say please can we have some more concessions. I find it rather humiliating that a British Prime Minister has to do this but I'm certain of one thing: he won't get another thing.

The most bizarre thing is that Mr Cameron said that with this deal he would now vote for Britain to join the European Union. Let's have a little think about that. If the question in June was should we join the EU we'd have to tell the British people you have to surrender the control and sovereignty of your parliament and have 75 percent of your laws made somewhere else.

Your supreme court will not be supreme; you will be overruled by a court of Luxembourg made up by people who aren't even judges.

You will have to give up your fishing grounds, including in some places 200 miles of the North Sea. And you must cut your links with the Commonwealth and the wider world because you are no longer fit to negotiate your own global trade deals.

Oh, and by the way for all of this you will be paying 55 million pounds a day as a membership fee.

Would the British people vote for that? Not a snowball's chance in Hades and all we have to do is recognise that while the politicians and the big banks and the big businesses will in this referendum defend their own vested self-interest, it is people power that will win this referendum and after we've won this referendum I hope that many other countries will in Europe too."

Many of them think in due course the UK should join the Euro. They would like us in the Schengen common frontier area. Meanwhile they ensure the freedom of movement rules operate in such a way that we do in effect share common borders with the rest. They do not like the UK’s island approach, seeking to keep some clear water between us and the continent on a range of matters.

Worse still, if we voted to stay the EU would make two constant claims. They would firstly portray the renegotiation deal as another special set of favours, and would expect favours back once the vote was won. Secondly, they would presume that because the UK had voted to stay in they could now make us do as they wished, because we no longer have a realistic chance of leaving.

It’s better to spare us and them the anguish of a reluctant UK trying to hold up the direction of travel of the rest of the EU. Leaving now would be good for us, but it would also be good for them. Then they can get on with completing their ever closer union without the UK trying to slow it down.