Vatican City - In 2007 Roman Catholics numbered 1.147 billion people, or some 17.3 per cent of the global population, the Vatican said Saturday in its latest report on church statistics.

The total, which relates to the number of people baptized as Catholics, marks a 1.4 per cent increase over the previous year and is "in tune" with global population growth of 1.1 per cent during the same period, the Vatican noted.

The annual report, published in the form of a thick hard-cover book, was presented to Pope Benedict XVI in a ceremony at the Vatican on the Saturday morning.

British bishop Richard Williamson found himself back in the centre of controversy Friday despite a statement he issued expressing an apology over his Holocaust statements, with the Vatican calling it inadequate and Germany speaking about seeking his extradition.

Williamson, now residing at an undisclosed location in Britain after his expulsion from Argentina on Wednesday, had published a statement on the website of the British arm of the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X expressing "regrets" about the "harm and hurt" which his Holocaust denial remarks had caused.

Vatican City - An apology issued by Richard Williamson, the British bishop at the centre of an international row over the denial of the Holocaust "does not seem to respect the terms" set by the Vatican, the Holy See's chief spokesman said Friday.

Father Federico Lombardi also described Williamson's apology as "generic and equivocal," contrasting it to a request made by the Vatican to Williamson that he "clearly and publicly distance himself" from his remarks on the Holocaust.

Brussels  - British bishop Richard Williamson's comments questioning the Holocaust are "unacceptable" and an "attack on reality," the European Union's top justice official said Friday.

But the EU does not yet have concerted rules in place which would allow for his prosecution, leaving the response in the hands of individual governments, EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot told journalists at a meeting of EU justice ministers in Brussels.

Buenos Aires  - The Catholic bishop who is at the centre of a global storm of controversy over his denial of the Holocaust left Argentina Tuesday for London, local media reported.

Under pressure from the Jewish community and other groups, the Argentina government had asked Richard Williamson to leave the country by early March or face mandatory expulsion.

Buenos Aires  - The Catholic priest who is at the centre of a global storm of controversy over his denial of the Holocaust left Argentina Tuesday for London, local media reported.

Under pressure from the Jewish community and other groups, the Argentina government had asked Richard Williamson to leave the country by early March or face mandatory expulsion.