`Evil' bishop goes

Swiss Catholics breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after the Vatican announced that their most conservative and controversial bishop, Wolfgang Haas, is to be moved to Liechtenstein. His opponents accused him of being authoritarian, even evil or mad.

Tensions between Bishop Haas and other leading Swiss Catholics mounted after his appointment to the see of Chur in1990. He angered liberals in his flock by opposing moves to allow lay preachers and enhance the role of women in the church.

His supporters in Chur collected up to 10,000 signatures earlier this year backing him. But opponents countered that they could easily collect 100,000 names against him.