pits,

he states, "but none dares bidden books, which since 1559

let his secret be known."

Other Toronto clergymen disagree on the "homosexual marriage" proposal. Catholic clergyman John J. Keating, for example, said: "I don't even want to comment on this proposal. It's sick."

Actually, the modern church's involvement with marriage is all rather presumptuous to begin with. There is no evidence that the founder of Christianity ever performed a marriage, or even "recognized" or "approved" one in his capacity as religious leader, or that he ever authorized his followers to do so. He regarded marriage as a union which "God hath brought together" (Mt. 19.6, Mk.10.9). That the neo-Christian church later presumed it had the capacity to approve, and even to perform marriages, is about on a par with its presumption that it could create saints, or that it could remit sins on a cash-and-carry basis. The present day church could assume more dignified posture in this area, if it left the social aspects of the marriage contract to secular authorities, and the personal, "spiritual" aspects to couples themselves, to maintain and display in terms. of mutual needs, loyalties, and commitments.

MEASURE OF PROGRESS??

"spirit-

"WHOEVER IS GUILTY OF CRIMES AGAINST NATURE SHALL BE BURNT ALIVE." Faithfully Translated (circa 1750) for the Use of the English Inhabitants of the Danish Settlements in America, from the CODE of CHRISTIAN the FIFTH.

THE INFAMOUS INDEX

From the SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES of 2/9, and other sources, has come word of Pope Paul's recent action in relation to the Roman Catholic "Index" of for-

has dictated to adherents what books they may not read without danger of hellfire. About 5000 titles are believed to now stand on this Index, including classics such as Gibbon's "Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" which record some of the many unpalatable and embarrassing facts in the history of the Roman church, as well as existentialist and other philosophical works which might entice the faithful into heretical views on cherished church dogmas. Naturally, the works of Andre Gide are also among the banned and damned.

Actually, the Index itself is far from abolished, but the entire machinery of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, a major portion of whose functions once consisted of book censorship, is said to have been drastically overhauled, and its dictatorial powers in this direction considerably shorn. According to the San Angelo source, "In recent years, the Church has tended not to use sexual morality as a basic reason for forbidding books. Thus some of the gamiest of modern novels are not included," and "There has been speculation that by de-emphasizing the Index, the Church would allow it to wither away through disuse."

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY!

At the University of Syracuse, about 300 male students staged termed what was a Successful panty raid on a women's dormitory during the recent blackout from power failure. Also caught by the same blackout were 75 men in the shower room at the gym. KANSAS CITY CONVOCATION

Most recent meeting of representatives of various homophile organizations was attended by approximately 40 persons (KANSAS