Top woman in Roman Curia

ROSEMARY Goldie, who was one of the few Australian Catholics who had a marked influence on the church internationally, has died at a nursing home in Randwick, Sydney. She was 94.

Benedict applies a gentle brake to saint-making

MARY MacKillop's canonisation will take place under Pope Benedict XVI's policy of restoring solemnity to canonisations.

Vatican opens a door for dissent

POPE BENEDICT'S decision to open a special section in the Catholic Church for former Anglicans might look like clever denominational politics, increasing the turmoil in the Anglican Church after its decision to ordain women and homosexuals as bishops. But Anglicans were already disagreeing with each other over those decisions vehemently enough to need no help there. Anglican priests have always been able to be ordained as Catholic priests individually. What is new is that the Vatican has established a template into which all such cases can fit from now on.

Fiction

Ship Of Rome John Stack (HarperCollins, $32.99)

Drug Users Playing With Chariots Of Fire

Hydromel has added a new chapter on man's attempt to make the horse run faster. It goes back to the Coliseum meetings in Rome and had such an impact on horses pulling the chariots, the user received the thumbs down from Caesar, the death sentence, and was probably fed to the lions if the supply of Christians ran low.

Tv Previews

Rex In Rome SBS, 7.35pm Everest ER ABC1, 8pm The Waiting Room Nine, 8pm

Rice Throws Herself Into Training

SHE may have become "Miss Seen Everywhere" since returning from the Beijing Olympics - invited to all the A-list parties and even getting a start at Paris Hilton's New Year's Eve bash - but Stephanie Rice is committed and will be ready for this year's world titles in Rome.

Singing To A Different Tune

MORCHEEBA January 3 Waves Tickets: $49.20 UK electric/trip-hop act Morcheeba are best known for their 2000 single Rome Wasn't Built in a Day.

Anatomy Titus Fall Of Rome

ANATOMY TITUS FALL OF ROME At CUB Malthouse. Nov 26-Dec 6. $60-$30. Tel: 9685 5111

Pope Selects Ingham For Assembly In Rome

POPE Benedict XVI has hand-picked Wollongong's Bishop Peter Ingham to attend an international assembly in Rome next month.

While Rome Burns, The Locals Have Gone A-roaming

Deserted piazzas and civic-minded winos weren't quite what Kate Holden had in mind as she entered Byron's "city of the soul".

Emperor Hadrian Conquers The British Museum In Blockbuster Display

TWO years ago, Thorston Opper, one of the British Museum's most creative and passionate curators, unearthed from its immeasurable collections an ancient Roman memorandum that showed a unit of Iraqis once occupied Britain. Dr Opper, a specialist in the Department of Greece and Rome, clearly savoured history's wonderful tendency to repeat itself and evocatively described the snippet: "Call it an exchange of peacekeepers," he said.

Great And Gay Caesar's Ghost

An assemblage of rare artefacts reflects the life and death of Hadrian - arguably Rome's most enigmatic emperor. Hadrian: Empire And Conflict British Museum, London, until October 26

Good Luck And God Bless You

AS Tim Fischer prepares to follow holy orders from St Kevin of Queensland, and well before he touches down at Rome's Leonardo da Vanstone Internazionale en route to his ambassadorial enclave, he could perhaps heed the following advice:

Caesar Plans Return To Rome

Italians are looking for a saviour and Silvio Berlusconi is ready and willing, writes Giulia Sirignani in Rome.

Reflections On A New Imperium

The New Rome? By Cullen Murphy Scribe, 262pp, $27.95

Can The Empire Strike Back?

The New Rome?, by Cullen Murphy, Scribe, out now, RRP $27.95