iFFIE Brazilian Govern . ,ment could not be hekli responsible for isolated cases of torture, said Cardinal Rossi, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, who also condemned "the campaign of defamation against Brazil by certain foreign newspapers."
Cardinal Rossi, who is president of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference, referred to charges made last month in Paris by Archbishop Helder Camara of Olinda and Recife that tortures were being inflicted on prisoners in Brazil, and giving examples of which he had personal knowledge.
He said Archbishop Camara's statements "reflected his personal opinion and not that of the bishops."
CONDEMNATION
The day after Archbishop Camara's remarks in Paris, the Brazilian Bishops' Conference issued a statement condemnine torture by police and asking the Government to stop the practice and to punish the guilty.
Referring to the denunciations of cases of torture, the Cardinal said: "We know that there are lamentable deeds in Brazil, as in many other countries of the world. It is nevertheless very grave to exaggerate and to generalise in attributing to the Government what is the doing of a few.
"The people need to know, for everyone's peace of mind, that the Government is going to take effective and severe measures against those who torture."
Cardinal to sell S10,000 furniture
CARDINAL Marty, Archbishop of Paris, is to sell some of the valuable furnishings of his official residence in the French capital as a gesture towards eliminating marks of wealth and ostentation incompatible with the poverty of Christ.
The sale is expected to yield some £10,000 which will bepassed on to charities concerned with under-developed countries and for enlarging a home for elderly priests. The Cardinal said he wished to make a personal response tothe appeal of Archbishop Helder Camara of Recife, Brazil.