Pope Benedict XVI has opened the door on the previously taboo subject of condoms as a way to fight HIV, saying male prostitutes who use condoms may be beginning to act responsibly.

A senior Vatican official today said there was no moral justification for discriminating between embryos used in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures, setting the tone for a Vatican conference on the ethical treatment of embryos before they are implanted.

AS I write, Terri Schiavo is not yet dead. But she is surrounded by death.

An Italian appeals court has overturned the murder conviction of a man who disconnected his comatose wife’s life support system in a ruling that has ignited a debate on euthanasia.