Last weekend’s decision by Pope Francis to remove the conservative US Cardinal Raymond Burke from his position as head of the Vatican’s Apostolic Signature, the Holy See’s Supreme Court, signals a new, harder edge in the battle within the Vatican between those who would modernise the Catholic Church and those who would, as they see it, defend its traditions and truths.

A decision is likely early next year on an appeal by a Cork priest into a secret Church court’s decision to defrock him for the serial sexual abuse of minors and teenagers.

An appeal is under way in the Vatican into a decision by a Cork diocese to defrock one of its priests for serial sexual abuse of teenagers and minors.