edited by Irene Slovak

THIS MONTH we take note of a number of happenings. First a survey of abortion from the Tulsa World (18 January 1981): A survey of abortion patients at a clinic in Boston revealed last week that most of them were single Catholic women who would rather have an abortion than "sin repeatedly by using birth control." The study was done, by Dr. Colin Francome,

edited by Irene Slovak

THIS MONTH we take note of a number of happenings. First a survey of abortion from the Tulsa World (18 January 1981): A survey of abortion patients at a clinic in Boston revealed last week that most of them were single Catholic women who would rather have an abortion than "sin repeatedly by using birth control." The study was done, by Dr. Colin Francome, a British sociologist. "One surprising statistic the study revealed is that 66% of the abortion patients at the Boston clinic were Catholic, whereas the Boston overall population is only 35% Catholic," Francome said. The study also found 70% of those who had a second abortion were Catholic.

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In its number for January 23, the so-called National Cathlolic Reporter reported the following story, which surely deserves some kind of prize. We paraphrase the story: It was recently announced that Father Alighiero Tondi, 73, has just been appointed assistant priest at a parish in central Italy. This would not be very remarkable news except for the fact that on April 21, 1952, the same Father Tondi proclaimed to the world that he was leaving the Jesuit Order and joining the Communist Party. [He had been a well-known professor at the Gregorian University in Rome.—Ed comment.] The Communists naturally showed off their new prize like a war trophy. In 1954 Tondi married in a civil ceremony. His wife went on to hold important posts in the Communist Party, but Tondi himself was never given any such honors. By the 1970's he had become disillusioned with Communism and wished to be reconciled with the Church. He had an audience with Pope Paul VI, who convalidated his marriage (childless but happy). Then his wife died, and he returned to the active ministry as a diocesan priest. His comment was. "There's a time for loving, and a time for meditating. I've reached the second stage now." [Apparently loving and meditating are mutually exclusive.—Ed.] The NCR report concludes with the statement that Tondi did not attempt to rejoin the Jesuits. [Just as well.—Ed.] The article was written by Peter Hebblethwaite, himself an ex-Jesuit.

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Michael Davies' article on the Kingship of Christ in the January 1981 ANGELUS made reference to a scandalous incident that took place in the cathedral of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1979. One of our readers, to whom we are grateful, took that as a cue to inform us of another such happening in the same cathedral. This one we think is worth quoting in full (from the Hartford Courant, January 25, 1981).

MORE CIRCUS ANTICS IN CONNECTICUT CATHEDRAL
With a blast from his antique brass automobile horn, the verger started the clowns, dancers, jugglers, bell-ringers, recorder-players,  a choir, clergy and lay down the of the Cathedral of St. Joseph Saturday to celebrate the Winter Festival of Congregations.

More than 1,000 persons from churches all over Greater Hartford stood to welcome the procession as it made its way down the aisle of the Catholic Church and up to the altar.

The altar of the cathedral, dwarfed by the sculptured crown behind it, was decorated with richly colored wall hangings of Christ, Christian soldiers, people in prayer and the Virgin Mary. And it was soon filled with clowns dressed as bears, a blue-robed wizard, balloons and the more traditional robes of cross-bearers, altar boys and clergy.

The service, which broke up a daylong conference of workshops, celebrated the end of the week of Prayer for Christian unity ... True to its ecumenical nature, the unusual celebration combined worship traditions from Protestant, Catholic, black, Hispanic and Anglo services, then mixed in the history and pageantry of the early Church.

Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Peter Rosazza of Hartford presided over the service in the cathedral and the breaking of loaves of bread in the cathedral school afterwards.

More than 750 persons participated in the workshops, ... which ranged from tips for church custodians ... to Muslim-Christian relations.

Another festival for next January 23 is already being planned.

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Continuing the theatrical motif, we have this goodie, as reported in the Texas Catholic Herald for January 1981.

PRIESTS SPREAD THE GOSPEL
Pittsburgh (NC)—Giving a theatrical twist to spreading the word are four Pittsburgh area priests who sing, dance, and tell jokes for supper club audiences to put across the Gospel message.

But, according to Father Tom Smith, organizer of the troupe, the two-hour act is not show business.

"This is evangelical theatre," Father Smith said ... "We are theatrical evangelists. We are using the theatre as another means of getting across the good news of the Gospels. Every song, every dance, every comedy line in our act has the purpose of setting up the audience to receive the good news."

"... Father Smith said he took up the theatrical activites at the urging of the late Cardinal John J. Wright, then bishop of Pittsburgh. Bishop Vincent M. Leonard, who now heads the diocese, has not seen the act but, said Father Smith, "has shown real confidence in me and my judgment, for which I am grateful."

Wrote George Anderson, entertainment editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, "How can you resist a priest in black patent pumps and velvet jacket who tells you that when you die, God's gonna look you in the way and say 'Hello gorgeous'?"

Most of their material is original. Songs by Gershwin, Berlin and Porter are given a religious twist. "Be a Clown," for example, becomes on the second singing, "Be a priest, be a priest, all the world needs a priest."

The quartet swaps their clerical garb for clown jackets for this segment, but there is no slapstick. "The dignity of the priesthood is always respected, " said Father Smith. "All material is in good taste."

The four admit to having a little ham in them, but said they prayed over their decision and undertook the venture because their medium has been ignored for evangelizing and to show other priests that spreading the Gospel need not be limited to traditional ministries.

"Priests have always been stereotyped as to what they can do," said Father Jones. "We took Vatican II seriously when it said there are diversified ministries in the Church ...."

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In the face of such widespread abominations at this, it is not surprising to read (in Si Si No No, a traditional Italian paper) that Roger Cardinal Etchegaray, Archbishop of Marseilles and President of the French Conference of Bishops, is closing his cathedral church because attendance has dropped off so sharply.