The administration of President Barack Obama has defended the diplomatic immunity defence of the Vatican in a case currently before the courts.

In what is a first for the United States, the government has publicly asserted the right of the Vatican to its defence in the face of a case arising in the state of Oregon which had been permitted to proceed against Pope Benedict despite his diplomatic immunity status as a head of state.

In a briefing to the US Supreme Court, the administration cited American law in relation to immunity, and pointed out that this had not been followed in the Oregon case. It requested that the case be referred back to the authorities in Oregon for fresh consideration.

The briefing serves to deal with one of two issues plaintiffs have repeatedly brought before the courts in America in relation to clerical sexual abuse. Outstanding is the debate as to whether bishops and priests can be viewed as 'employees' of the Vatican for the purpose to making Rome responsible for their actions.

Italy

Clerical abuse documentary

A new documentary by international news agency Rome Reports, which covers Vatican issues, has become the first to examine clerical abuse from a worldwide perspective.

Bad Apples looks variously at the damage wrought by abuse in Ireland, and the responses offered to scandals in the United States. According to promotional material for the programme: ''Dealing with Sex Abuse in the Church [Bad Apples] analyses the initial confusion within the Church over who was in charge of investigating sex abuse. It also explores, in detail, Joseph Ratzinger's role, from the time he was cardinal to his actions as Pope Benedict XVI.''

The trailer for Bad Apples can be viewed at:

http://www.rrdocumen taries.com/trailesexeng/player.html

and the first seven min utes at:

http://www.romere ports.com/palio/modu les.php?name=sexabuse&& #38; newlang=english

Britain

Nuncio suffers minor stroke

The Apostolic Nuncio to the country is recovering following a minor stroke.

News of Archbishop Faustino Sainz Mu·oz's illness was delivered by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, who asked people to ''keep him in your prayers''.

Archbishop Faustino, who is 72, was born in Almaden, Spain. He was ordained a priest in 1964 and has held a number of posts in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 1970. He was appointed Papal Nuncio to Britian in 2004.

Reacting to news of the nuncio's stroke, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland offered his own message of support which also asked for prayers.

''The nuncio has been a great friend to us all here in Scotland,'' he said. ''On behalf of the Catholics of Scotland, I offer him the promise of our prayers for a steady recovery.''

Belgium

Abuse apology from bishops

The country's bishops have assured victims of abuse of strong action to curb clerical abuse as they issued an apology for the suffering inflicted on youngsters.

''We ask forgiveness from all the victims of sexual abuse, both for the aggression and for the inadequate treatment of it. We also ask forgiveness from those close to the victims and from society for all the human consequences caused by such abuse,'' the bishops said in a pastoral letter to faithful which followed their own meeting with Pope Benedict in Rome.

Poland

Prayers after torrential rains

Catholics in churches across the country offered special prayers in the wake of severe flooding last weekend.

Following a week of rain, the Vistula, Oder and Warta rivers burst their banks in a number of regions, bringing destruction and severe disruption. The rise in the Vistual to over seven metres has not been experienced in 60 years. The flooding has also affected the historic city of Krakow, and the government has warned residents in some low-lying areas to be prepared for evacuation if the situation does not improve in the coming days.

Copernicus honoured

The famed 16th Century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus has been reburied with full honours. Following his death in 1543, Copernicus had been buried in an unmarked location within the precincts of Frombork Cathedral.

The enduring question as to the remains of the astronomer, once denounced as a heretic for his theory of planetary motion that placed the sun, and not the earth, at the centre of heavenly motion, resulted in the exhumation and identification of his remains in 2005.

Last weekend, flanked by an honour guard and blessed by numerous clerics, the remains were reinterred in a tomb in the cathedral.

United States

Abortion lands nun in row

A nun in the state of Arizona has been excommunicated for approving an abortion at the hospital where she worked as an administrator.

Sister Margaret McBride of the Mercy Order agreed to the termination to save the life of the mother who arrived at the St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre in Phoenix with complications in her 11-week pregnancy. It is reported that the mother was certain to succumb to heart failure if she went through with her delivery, and faced with this, Sr McBride took her decision, despite Church teaching.

Her actions immediately incurred automatic excommunication, a fact communicated by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix.

''She consented in the murder of an unborn child,'' a spokesperson for the Diocese of Phoenix said. ''There are some situations where the mother may in fact die along with her child. But, — and this is the Catholic perspective — you can't do evil to bring about good. The end does not justify the means.''

Bible online

A new online search engine enabling users to find Scripture passages utilising keywords has been launched by the Bishops' Conference. The Vatican has given its approval to the new internet tool, available in both English and Spanish, and believed to be the first such Catholic Bible which is searchable by the keyword method, making it invaluable for biblical scholars.

The new Bible search engine can be found at: www.bible.catholic.net

France

Monks film scoops award

A film focussed on the lives and deaths of monks in a community in Algeria has scooped the Grand Prix award at the Cannes film festival.

Of Gods and Men, by the French director Xavier Beauvois, takes as its focus seven Cistercian monks who were taken hostage and murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in 1996. The monks had been warned their lives were in danger but refused to commit their monastery in the full knowledge that that might be martyred. Audience viewing the screening of Of God and Men are reported to have wept at the fate of the seven.