Religion: Pious Chasers

To comfort the sick and perform last rites over the dying are pastoral duties which often bring clergymen into hospitals. Hospital entry blanks for registering patients usually contain a space for recording religious affiliations. However, in many a U. S. hospital the clergy are not welcomed unless patients so request. Reason : patients are irritated by tactics which seem little better than spiritual ambulance chasing.

Nonetheless in New Haven, Conn, last week New Haven Hospital agreed to permit the clergy to inspect names and faiths of ward patients for an indefinite period, the length of the period presumably depending upon the restraint shown by local ministers who had agitated for the change.