This week's Word from Rome

is particularly good - which is not much of a surprise, especially because of the Holy Father's sudden trip to the hospital.

There is indeed a good amount of material related to the Pope's illness, but there is also good information regarding (inter alia):

• A new Vatican document next week about annulment procedures
• The imminent expiration of the "Dallas norms"
• Christianophobia
• An Italian law recognizing the rights of embryos

This column by John L. Allen, Jr., the National Catholic Reporter's Vatican correspondent, is a journalistic gem every week, whether you agree with NCR's style of Catholicism or not.