Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world met in a rare gathering at the Vatican today to discuss religious freedom, sexual abuse of children by priests and accepting converts from the Anglican church.
The debate on religious freedom unfolded against the backdrop of a fresh Vatican conflict with China's communist government over the ordination of a bishop without papal permission.
The closed-door meetings were taking place on the eve of a ceremony known as a consistory at which the pope will create 24 new cardinals, including 20 who are under 80 and thus eligible to enter a secret conclave to elect his successor.
The topic of religious liberty came to the fore on Thursday when the Vatican warned China not to force bishops loyal to the pope to attend the ordination of a bishop who is a member of the state-backed church that does not recognise the pontiff.
Prelates entering the meeting expressed concern that the new stand-off with Beijing would lead to a worsening of relations after a period of relative improvement.
Catholics in China are divided between one Church that recognises the pope and his authority to name bishops and a state-backed "patriotic association" which names its own bishops.
In the past few months, the Vatican has also been stepping up its calls for religious freedom for Christians in predominantly Muslim countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, any form of non-Muslim worship takes place in private. Converting Muslims is punishable by death, although such sentences are rare.
Services and prayer meetings are often held in the homes of foreign diplomats but access is limited, so Christians meet to worship in hotel conference rooms, at great risk.
The Vatican has also voiced concern about the fate of Christians in predominantly Muslim Iraq, where 52 hostages and police were killed earlier this month when security forces stormed a church that had been raided by al-Qaeda-linked gunmen.
The existing cardinals and cardinals-elect will also hear reports about the sexual abuse scandal which has rocked the Church in a number of countries.
Victims of sexual abuse were protesting in Rome to coincide with the meeting. They say the Vatican has not done enough to protect children from future abuse by priests.
"We want the bishops to turn over to police and prosecutors the personnel files of proven, admitted and credibly accused child-molesting clerics," said Barbara Blaine, a leader of the US-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
The Vatican meeting was also assessing difficult relations with Anglicans.
Today, the Catholic Church in England was to announce that five Anglican bishops opposed to the ordination of women bishops will take up an offer by the pope to convert to Catholicism while being allowed to keep some Anglican traditions.