Sex Education is among the issues at the centre of a church-state row which has hit Chile. The church has criticised plans by the health and education ministries to introduce such programmes in the country's education system.

President Ricardo Lagos, the first Chilean president to call himself a socialist since Salvador Allende, warned the Vatican's top liturgy expert to stay out of Chilean politics. Lagos said Cardinal Jorge Medina stepped beyond his remit recently when he expressed support for a retired navy chief who is close to former dictator General Augusto Pinochet.

"Excuse me for speaking clearly, but I don't like the idea of Chilean politics being made by admirals and a cardinal," Lagos told journalists.