BERLIN CONFERENCE In a report published concerning the Berlin Conference of Catholic Christians it was incorreedy stated that the conference had been attended by Fr. Plojhar of Czechoslovakia whom the report described as an excommunicated priest.
We have now been informed that Fr. Plojhar did not attend the conference and that although he had at one time been under suspension this has been rescinded by his Bishop, GERMAN POLITICS
Germany's Social Democratic party (SPD) must discard its atheistic ideology if it is to improve its relations with the Catholic Church. The Vicar General of the Berlin diocese said this in answer to an article in Berliner Stimme, organ of the party. Mgr, Walter Adolph said that the SPD paper was wrong to claim that the tension between the Social Democrats and the Church is a result of the Church's insufficient insight into social problems.
BAN ON WYSZYNSKI
Poland's Primate, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, told the mayor of Toronto last week that there is no chance that his country's Communist government will allow him to attend Canada's celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of Poland's conversion to Christianity. Cardinal Wyszynski had planned to visit the U.S. and Canada for millennium celebrations this summer, but as early as April a Polish government spokesman announced it was unlikely that the Communist regime would give him a passport. PENITENTIAL ACTS
Penetential practices—including fast and the Friday abstinence from meat—will be studied by the Bishops of Canada in Ottawa from October 10 to 14. The study will be part of a country-bycountry review of present Church law on penitential practices.
MARRIED PRIESTS
A Dutch public opinion poll has shown that 81 per cent of the Netherlands' people would rather have a married Catholic clergy than a celibate clergy. The
poll, including members of all and no denominations, showed that 68 per cent of the Catholics queried preferred a married clergy.
WARSAW PRAISES POPE
Radio Warsaw has praised Pope Paul's "unceasing effort?' in finding agreements with socialist countries. It was referring to the Vatican's rapprochement with Hungary and Yugoslavia. Although the agreements were made to benefit "ecclesiastical institutions in the socialist countries", they resulted in a co-existence that benefited the entire population, said Radio Warsaw.
PASSION PLAY DISPUTE The dispute over alleged antiSemitism in the Oberammergau Passion Play has ended in compromise. The village council decided to discard the script used for the past century in favour of one used 200 years ago.
PROPAGANDA OUT Spanish Bishops have agreed to examine religious school books with a view to wiping out anti Protestant propaganda_ Bishop Ortiz, president of the Episcopal Teaching Commission, announced the review after a group of Catalonian priests and laymen sent a letter requesting it.