Vatican City - Pope John Paul has transferred an archconservative bishop from his Swiss diocese after years of pressure from liberal Catholics and from the Swiss government.
A brief Vatican statement said that Bishop Wolfgang Haas of Chur was being promoted to head the newly-created Archdiocese of Vaduz in Liechtenstein.
The Swiss government welcomed the move, but noted that it had to make repeated representations to the Vatican over the matter.
Bishop Haas, a Liechtenstein native, was a controversial figure from his appointment in 1988 to the Swiss diocese, which covers seven cantons and includes the city of Zurich. His views caused public protests by thousands of Catholics in 1990.