The bishops of England and Wales said today that Pope Benedict XVI's visit has given them "new confidence".

In a statement issued after their plenary meeting this week, they said the papal visit in September gave them "fresh impetus to our identity as Catholics".

They said that central to Pope Benedict's message was "the insistence that religion has a key part to play in our society".

They thanked the Holy Father for speaking out about priestly sex abuse and for meeting the victims of such abuse during his visit.