Pope Benedict XVI has declined to accept the resignations of two Irish bishops who stood down at Christmas. The Belfast Telegraph suggests the news is "a severe blow to the authority of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin" of Dublin.
A new analysis of voting patterns among bishops at the Second Vatican Council suggests that non-Catholics had a strong influence on the Council's outcome.
The Vatican is planning to revamp its official website and is considering opening sections in Arabic and Russian.
American lawyer Jeff Anderson has said that he is determined to pursue two major lawsuits against the Holy See.
