Sell treasures to help the poor—Synod call

FROM ALAN McELWAIN IN VATICAN CITY 7'0 buy food for the hun gry gry the Church should sell some of its treasures — and in this Rome herself should give the lead, Cardinal Heenan told the Synod of Bishops, now debating world justice, on Wednesday.
"We know that the treasures of the Vatican galleries belong to the world and should not
therefore he dissipated," Cardinal Heenan said.
"There would nevertheless be great value in the example of the Iloly See selling some of the masterpieces of art in the Vatican.'' Pope Paul, the Cardinal said, had already established himself as the world's greatest leader in the fight for peace. "I humbly suggest that he would give a further impetus to his work by encouraging Churches throughout the world to sell precious objects in order to relieve world want" Cardinal Heenan ern
that this was his own idea and not part of proposals he had earlier put forward on behalf of the bishops of England and Wales.
UNITED EFFORTS
Speaking for the bishops and many priests and people who had been consulted, Cardinal Heenan said it was obvious that world justice could be accomplished only by the united efforts of all nations on earth.
The problem was too great to he solved by any religious community. however wellintentioned. Even if the Church were to give away all her material resources, sell all her churches, schools and convents, she would make only a small contribution to the gigantic effort required.
The bishops of England and Wales proposed that the Synod should advise Pope Paul to
inaugurate a two-fold operation to further world justice.
On the one hand Catholics and their fellow Christians should be educated about. the facts of the world situation. While praising the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace he said there was the danger that people might think these commissions were doing all that was necessary in the Church's name.
Secondly. since only governments could effectively give the massive aid required by the Third World, Catholics must inform themselves and their fellow-citizens of the facts and demand action from civil governments.
FINE OPPORTUNITY This was an excellent opportunity for ecumenical action between Christians and all men of good will.
The Cardinal said that already, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Free Churches, he had visited the British Prime Minister and requested increased government aid to the developing countries.
Addressing the Synod, Barbara Ward (Lady Jackson), the economist and a member of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace, said the great majority of the world's (Continued on Page 12)