News

Church takes poorly to comedian's idea of selling Vatican to end poverty

October 16, 2009 Edition 2

ROME: Comedian Sarah Silverman has a new proposal for ending world hunger: sell the Vatican.

In a new profanity-laced monologue making the rounds on YouTube, in time for UN World Food Day tomorrow, Silverman suggests that it's time for the pope to "move out of your house that is a city" and use the proceeds to feed the world's poor.

The Vatican clearly has no plans to follow suit. Yesterday, a spokesman declined to comment. But the Catholic League, the US Catholic civil rights organisation, denounced Silverman and cable broadcaster HBO for her "obscene" and "filthy diatribe".

In a statement, it noted that the "Catholic Church operates more hospitals and feeds more of the poor than any private institution in the world".

Yet the Rev James Martin, culture editor of the Jesuit magazine America, says Silverman may be on to something. In an on-line article, Martin noted that Jesus himself told his followers to sell what they had and give it to the poor.

"Of course Pope Benedict XVI could not 'sell' any of the treasures of the Vatican, the same way that your local archbishop couldn't sell off the cathedral at a whim; they are not his, they are the church's," Martin wrote. "And the church is not simply the hierarchy but the entire people of God."

But he added: "Still, perhaps Ms Silverman, in her post-modern, potty-mouthed way is on to something. Like Jesus was. Sell the Vatican? Well, maybe not everything but perhaps a statue or two?" - Sapa-AP