The play, “The Pope and the Witch,” is scheduled to open March 1, 2007 at the University of Minnesota. The playwright, Dario Fo, is a well-known Stalinist and anti-Catholic bigot.
Newspapers like the Albany Times-Union and Newsday have noted the anti-Catholic nature of the play, and even the University of Minnesota admits it. The school’s department of theatre, arts and dance summarizes the play’s message by saying, “it is easy for a rich church to rage against abortion when millions are born into poverty, and become victims of the drug trade, from which people under the Vatican’s protection can fill their pockets.” This is why Bill Donohue appealed to University of Minnesota president Robert Bruininks to cancel the play. Bruininks’ response appears below.
