Italian editor quits in a row over PM

The editor of Avvenire, a leading Italian Catholic newspaper, has quit in a bitter row involving the country\'s Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, according to a report by Duncan Kennedy on www.news.bbc.co.uk.



Dino Boffo said his family and professional life had been \"raped\" in a \"barbaric\" attack by Il Giornale, a paper owned by Mr Berlusconi\'s family.



It said Mr Boffo was gay and had previously been accused of harassment.



As Avvenire\'s editor, Mr Boffo had criticised Mr Berlusconi for his alleged relationships with young women.



In one editorial, the newspaper, which speaks for Italy\'s Catholic bishops\' conference, spoke of how Catholics were mortified by Mr Berlusconi\'s behaviour.

Last week, Il Giornale hit back with an article seeking to expose what it called Mr Boffo\'s double standards.



In a rebuttal of the accusations published in Avvenire on today, Mr Boffo admitted being fined in a harassment case, but said he was not at fault, and denied suggestions of a homosexual relationship.



He said he was resigning because of the damage to his family and newspaper by Il Giornale.