The Archbishop of Canterbury has pleaded for unity within the Church of England after a snub to traditionalists in a vote on the contentious issue of women bishops.

Clergy within the Church have warned that the defection to Rome by numerous members is a distinct reality after their hopes for a compromise were ignored by the General Synod last weekend.

As the synod worked to secure agreement on ordinations for women bishops, a compromise had been put forward to allow for certain opt-outs by traditionalists, and designed at preventing schism. However, in the final vote, only minimal concessions were approved, provoking anger among opponents to female ordination.

Now it is believed that as many as 200 traditionalist clerics together with thousands of followers will convert to Catholicism.

''The vote was a severe blow,'' one cleric stated, ''and it has pushed us closer to the door.''

It has since emerged that 70 traditionalists have met with an unnamed Catholic bishop to discuss the matter of defection.

Vatican

Legion delegate appointed

Pope Benedict has appointed Archbishop Velasio De Paolis as Pontifical Delegate to the Legion of Christ.

Archbishop Paolis is currently president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

Announcing the appointment, Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said the archbishop hoped to meet with Legion delegates as quickly as possible as part of his work.

In a statement responding to the appointment the Legion acknowledged Archbishop Paolis' ''broad experience and proven competence'' and pledged to ''to respond fully to his guidance''.

Belgium

Cardinal protests

The country's top prelate, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, has lodged an official complaint regarding inaccurate media stories of alleged inappropriate content on his personal computer.

A leak to a newspaper as an investigation into the cardinal's handling of abusive priests was ongoing led to a report suggesting that a photograph of a naked girl had been found on his computer.

Rejecting the report, Cardinal Danneels has issued proceedings for a breach of his privacy. The move follows confirmation from prosecutors that the image found was itself a downloaded image from a television channel in the country and quite innocent in nature.

United States

Prof. sacked for 'hate speech'

A lecturer has been sacked from his post for explaining the Church's teachings on homosexuality. Professor Kenneth Howell was forced from his post at the University of Illinois for 'hate speech' as a result of a class he gave on Catholicism in which he dealt with its teaching on the issue of homosexuality. Specifically, a student complained that an email sent by the professor in promoting his class was offensive and went against the institution's pledge to be inclusive.

Professor Howell is now being backed for reinstatement by the Alliance Defence Fund, a body established to defend free speech. In a statement defending the professor, the body said: ''The Supreme Court has consistently held that university campuses are 'not enclaves immune from the sweep of the First Amendment (Freedom of Speech)'.''

Russia

Art show fines

Two men have been fined for their part in setting up an art exhibition in which Christ's head was replaced with that of Mickey Mouse and the Order of Lenin

The exhibition, by Andrei Yerofeyev and Yuri Samodurov, drew criticism from members of the Russian Orthodox Church, resulting in a court action. Though the pair claimed their exhibition was mounted as a challenge to censorship in Russia, the court ruled their actions offensive and fined them. Ahead of that ruling, a number of Russian artists urged President Dimitry Medvedev to halt the trial.

Germany

Two monks cleared

Two monks of the Benedictine abbey in Ettal have been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the reporting of abuse cases.

Following an investigation by the Vatican into the cases of Abbot Barnabus BÎgle and Prior Maurus KraÞ, who had been asked to resign as a result of allegations that procedures for reporting were not followed in a 2005 case, the two were cleared. Investigators stated that Abbot BÎgle ''had done all he was required to''. They further ruled that there is not impediment to their re-elections.

China

Priest, nun murdered

A former seminarian has allegedly murdered a priest and nun linked to the underground Catholic Church in the country.

Fr Joseph Zhang Shulai, vicar general of the Diocese of Ningxia and Sr Mary Wei Yanhua were stabbed by Wenping Zhangwas, who had previously threatened harm to the priest. He has been arrested and police are investigating motives for the attack.

Bishop released

A bishop of the underground Church has been released after 15 months of detention.

Bishop Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding had not been heard from since his arrest, one of a number he has suffered during his bishopric. News of the bishop's release brought the faithful together for a special Mass at which he was chief celebrant.

During that Mass, Bishop Jia assured the congregation that he had not joined the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the body working to bolster an 'official' Church in China, independent of Rome.

Pakistan

Christians are barred

Moderate Muslims have condemned the barring of Christian poor from availing of a charity soup kitchen.

The action against feeding Christians has been ordered by local authorities in the Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab, affecting a free meal service backed by rich donors and businesses. The service offers cheaper meals in exchange for a purchased token, and it has been revealed that Christians are actively being prevented from securing such tokens.

Rasheed Jalal of the Pakistan Muslim League was among those who decried the action against the poor and hungry. Funding for the meal service, he pointed out is paid with public money collected from all citizens and ''must be used for a common goal''.

Nigeria

Christians killed in gun attacks

Seven people have died in the latest attacks on the Christian community by Muslim fundamentalists.

In the first of the latest incidents, gunmen surrounded a village in Kaduna state before opening fire on unarmed civilians. Among two dead in that attack was a mother of six children. Later, men with guns and machetes attacked a village near the city of Jos, claiming more lives.

Just four months ago, a major attack on the Christian community in Nigeria resulted in over 500 deaths, prompting calls for greater protective measures by the government.

Uganda

Pastor held on genocide rap

A Pentecostal pastor wanted in connection with genocide crimes in Rwanda has pleaded not guilty after his capture.

Jean-Bosco Uwinkindi was detained as he entered the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo and brought before the UN-backed tribunal dealing with the 1994 genocide.

Uwinkindi is charged with inciting a massacre of ethnic Tutsis when they sought refuge in his church. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.