Religion: Wheels

The internal-combustion engine has done its bit for God as well as mammon. In 1870, with only 26 million people, Italy had 150,000 priests; today there are more than 47 million Italians, but only 92,000 priests. Even so, more people were baptized in 1955; more went to Communion this Easter than ever in history. One reason : motor scooters.

Priests in Italy, according to a Vatican report, currently own 30,850 motor scooters, and in terms of sacraments and good works, the average priest's efficiency has climbed to about 3,000% over that of his road-trudging 19th century predecessor. Another straw in this high wind is the decline of the more introverted Benedictines and foot-slogging Franciscans in favor of the fast-moving Jesuits, whose high-octane practicality thrives on the motor-scooter age. Pope Pius XII has been a longtime friend of automotion; last fall he called for "greater and greater speed to the glory of God" (TIME, Oct. 17), and last week he delighted a delegation from an automobile club with the gentlest of finger-wagging: "Your impatience is understandable, though at times it must be temporarily curbed to the advantage of other road users."