Faith in his fists

FocitsF:cntsj and People AFIGHTING Catholic is nothing new in the Church militant, although the bout on Tuesday when Henry Cooper, a Catholic, met Joe Bugner had the advantage of being devoid of the bitter malice which characterises some theological battles.
Both Henry Cooper. O.B.E. and left-hook specialist, and Jim Wicks, bookmaker and Cooper's canny fight manager,
are Catholics. Jim Wicks is a born Catholic and Henry Cooper became a Catholic after taking instruction just before he married eleven years ago.
However, when we approached the redoubtable Andy
Smith who manages Joe Bugner on whether his protege who was born in the predominantly Catholic country of Hungary was of the household of the Faith, the effect was startling. Raising the ugly head of religion in front of Mr. Smith had a similar effect as a gratuitous right hook to the managerial breadbasket or of asking a member of the Supreme Soviet whether he read the New Testament to his children.
Asked about Bugner's religious affiliation. be replied: "He's a boxer. lie's a sportsman." When pressed he maintained that the blond Bugner had no religion.
Getting bolder, we asked Mr. Smith whether he had a religion. No, he hadn't. "We're not interested whether people are black, white or brown," he continued in his excitable Scots accent and then, generalising massively, said: "Look at the trouble religion's caused lately."
Throughout its history professional prizefighting has attracted a steady stream of Catholics. Two former heavyweight champions of the world aspired to the priesthood be
fore their fists won them fame —John L. Sullivan and Gene Tunney. Other Catholics who wore the heavyweight crown were Primo Camera, James I. Braddock, Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston.
The Osservatore Romano, commenting on the FrazierClay contest last week, was less censorious of boxing than previously. It granted that the sport was not necessarily immoral hut added: "but the hail of blows at a man who repays in kind if he can, frankly does not fill us with enthusiasm. A sense of humaneness, of respect, of love, of pacifism prevails over our fighting instinct,"
God and the gods
GERMAN efficiency comes once more to the fore with the ecumenical preparations being made for the 1972 Olympic Games, to be held in the Bavarian capital of Munich. A commission of Catholics fLnd Evangelicals is preparing three booklets. which will be distributed among the myriad nationalities at the opening of the Games.
The titles are "Christiana in Germany," "The Church and Sport." and "A Guide to the Churches."
On the Catholic front a commission has been set up under Bishop Johan Neuhausler, Auxiliary of Munich, which has divided itself into sub-commissions to organise religious services for the various language groups among participants. It will also be responsible for the pastoral care of the special Olympic village which will be built to house participants.
Among the special refigioue services there will be an ecumenical service in September 1972 and a commemorative ceremony at tbe notorious former concentration camp of Dachau, to be held on the same day as the opening of the Olympic Games.