Religion: Words & Works

¶ Last week Poland's Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski (pronounced Vishinsky) felt the steel of the trap that has already closed upon Hungary's Cardinal Mindszenty, Yugoslavia's Cardinal Stepinac, Czechoslovakia's Archbishop Beran and China's Cardinal Tien. Secret police searched his house all night; then the government "deposed" him as primate of Poland. The Cardinal was "allowed to retire to a monastery," said the Warsaw radio. But he went with accusations of "anti-state activities" hanging over his head—a broad hint that the next step might be a propaganda trial.

¶ Upset by the gambling-house wedding of four-times-married Rita Hayworth and four-times-married Dick Haymes (TIME, Oct. 5), the Christian Century called for a law "to limit the number of marriages which could be contracted by persons whose previous unions had ended in divorce. Where draw the line?...The same principle could be applied as that which is used by several states in dealing with incorrigible criminals: regardless of the crime, the fourth conviction is for life."

¶ The Washington Daily News set off a front-page editorial salvo against the current juke-box assault on the ramparts of faith. "Blaring out of the boxes and rasping out of the radio," said the News, "is an unceasing stream of songs about lovers meeting and parting within the sight and sound of mission bells, ladies left sobbing in chapels and strident testimonials to the serenity to be found in the little church in some quaint little old fishing village down Mexico way.* Never have so many done so much whimpering and moaning and screeching in the name of deep and quiet feeling."