The thousands who queued on Tuesday to see St Vitus Cathedral, Prague, had to pay 100 kroner (about £2.15) for the privilege of viewing the most magnificient cathedral in Central Europe. The following day the tourists went in free, by order of President Václav Klaus. After six months of being owned by the Church, the cathedral had been ordered back into the custody of the Czech State. It was the latest round in the 15-year battle over the ownership of the cathedral. The hope in Prague is that when the Pope appoints a successor to Cardinal Vlk, the Archbishop of Prague, who is 74 and will have to go by his 75th birthday, he will chose a man who will repair relations between Church and State.

- York Minister is to acquire a gargoyle with a “hoody”. The design is for practical reasons, says the stonemason: “There was a slight weakness in the stone, and I had to make his neck thicker.”

- Christian Aid is urging people to join a 1,000 mile protest walk against global warming. The Cut the Carbon march begins on July 14 and will visit 70 British towns and cities.

- An ecumenical Christian organisation has published an alternative online travel guide to Israel and Palestine. The Friends of Sabeel-North America have included visits to refugee camps and the sites of demolished houses in its guide at www.fosna.org

- According to the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, Roman Catholics now represent the largest Christian denomination in America. There are 69 million Catholics in the US, and 16.3 million Southern Baptists.