Catholic Cardinal says it's not a sin to gamble, sell arms

Sydney, Nov 12 (ANI): During a business lunch hosted by Notre Dame University, a senior Catholic cleric said that it is not a sin to gamble or to sell arms.

Cardinal George Pell also suggested it might be somewhat hypocritical for the Catholic Church to condemn gambling outright, given the proliferation of poker machines in NSW Catholic clubs.

"I must confess I do feel a bit uneasy about that, but only a bit uneasy. Because culturally I'm an Irish Australian and we grew up gambling," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.

Pell said that gambling in itself was not intrinsically wrong, and that only when it became an addiction, threatening the well being of oneself and one's family, did it become a sin.

And when quizzed about the ethics of selling arms, he hypothesised that global military contractors may in fact be acting on a moral imperative.

"I think you can produce arms morally ... You might say in some cases it is necessary. We are a peaceful country. If we were unarmed that would be an enticement to evil people," he said.

"The best way to stay as we are is to be strong and effectively armed so I think you could make the case," he added. (ANI)