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The letter released Thursday in which Pope Benedict XVI admitted that the Vatican had made “mistakes” in handling the case of a Holocaust-denying bishop was unprecedented in its directness, its humanity and its acknowledgment of papal fallibility. But it also contained two sentences unique in the annals of church history. “I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on,” Benedict wrote. “I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news.”

The Vatican, a 2,000-year-old monarchy built on the ruins of the Roman Empire and run by octogenarians, has officially recognized the demands of the 24-hour news cycle, not a 24-century one.

Pope Benedict XVI became further entangled in Middle East politics on Thursday when the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, urged him to denounce Iran.

“I asked him as a moral figure to make his voice heard loudly and continuously against the declarations coming from Iran about their intentions to destroy the state of Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu told Israeli television after meeting Benedict

“It cannot be that at the start of the 21st century, a state arises that says it intends to destroy the Jewish state and that a very strong and aggressive voice isn’t heard condemning this phenomenon,” Mr. Netanyahu added. The Vatican has full diplomatic ties with Iran.

Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Israel on the second and most sensitive leg of his Middle East tour.

In his arrival speech, the Pope immediately addressed the issue of Palestinian statehood. "I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties," he said. "So that both people may live in peace in a homeland of their own within secure and internationally recognised borders."

The BBC's David Willey, travelling with the Pope, says the Catholic Church and the current Israeli government do not see eye-to-eye on Palestinian statehood. He says the issue will be the main focus of talks between the Pope and the Israeli government over the next few days.

The Pope today reignited the controversy over the Catholic church's stance on condom use as he made his first trip to Africa.The pontiff said condoms were not the answer to the continent's fight against HIV and Aids and could make the problem worse.

The pontiff, speaking to journalists on his flight, said the condition was "a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".

"It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality," he added.