The Vatican said a traditionalist bishop who has minimised the full extent of the Holocaust must disavow his positions before he will be accepted into full communion with the Church. It said Pope Benedict XVI did not know about the controversial statements by British-born Bishop Richard Williamson when he lifted the bishop's excommunication and that of three other traditionalist bishops illicitly ordained in 1988.

"The positions of Bishop Williamson on the Holocaust are absolutely unacceptable and are strongly rejected by the Holy Father," the statement said.

In order to function as a bishop, Bishop Williamson must distance himself from his previous statements in "an absolutely unequivocal and public manner", the Vatican said. In an effort to deflect the growing public outcry, the Vatican said the papal decree lifting the excommunication did not change the juridical status of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, which still has no canonical recognition in the Catholic Church.

The society was founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who also incurred automatic excommunication when he ordained the four bishops against papal orders. The society has not accepted the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council and its concepts of religious freedom and ecumenism.

Legionaries founder fathered child

The Legionaries of Christ have accepted the fact that their founder, the late Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, who died on January 30, 2008, at the age of 87, kept a mistress and fathered a girl.

Fr Paolo Scarafoni, spokesman at the Legionaries' headquarters in Rome, said that, despite Fr Maciel's failures and flaws, members of the order are grateful to him for having founded the order and its various ministries.

In the past, Fr Maciel had been accused of sexually abusing young seminarians in the order.

But instead of deciding to conduct a canonical trial to investigate the allegations, in May 2006 the Holy See ordered the then-elderly Fr Maciel to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance.

Defend the family

"In much of modern Europe the vital cohesive role that the family has to play in human affairs is being called into question and even endangered as a result of misguided ways of thinking that at times find expression in aggressive social and political policies.

"It is my earnest hope that ways will be found of safeguarding this essential element of our society, which is the heart of every culture and nation.

"One of the specific ways Government can support the family is by ensuring that parents are allowed to exercise their fundamental right as the primary educators of their children, which would include the option to send their children to religious schools when they so desire."

Pope Benedict XVI addressing János Balassa, new Hungarian ambassador to the Holy See.

Cardinal blasts government

Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi blamed the government for exacerbating the famine that has afflicted the east African nation.

"While we acknowledge the fact that there have been inadequate rains in many parts of the country, we are also conscious that had we all taken proper measures, planned in advance, curbed the vice of greed, selfishness, and have the political will to weed out the culture of corruption, no life would have been endangered or lost," he said.