“VATICAN CITY—Pope Benedict XVI has opened the door on the previously taboo subject of condoms as a way to fight HIV, saying male prostitutes who use condoms may be beginning to act responsibly. It’s a stunning comment for a pontiff who has blamed condoms for making the AIDS crisis worse.
The pope made the comments in an interview with a German journalist published as a book entitled “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times,” which is being released Tuesday. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano ran excerpts on Saturday.
Church teaching has long opposed condoms because they are a form of artificial contraception, although the Vatican has never released an explicit policy about condoms and HIV. The Vatican has been harshly criticized for its position.
Benedict said that condoms are not a moral solution to stopping AIDS. But he said in some cases, such as for male prostitutes, their use could represent a first step in assuming moral responsibility “in the intention of reducing the risk of infection.”
Benedict made the comment in response to a general question about Africa, where heterosexual HIV spread is rampant.
He used as a specific example male prostitutes, for whom contraception is not usually an issue, but did not mention married couples where one spouse is infected. The Vatican has come under pressure from even church officials to condone condom use for such monogamous married couples to protect the uninfected spouse from transmission.
Benedict drew the wrath of the United Nations, European governments and AIDS activists when, en route to Africa in 2009, he told reporters that the AIDS problem on the continent couldn’t be resolved by distributing condoms. “On the contrary, it increases the problem,” he said then.”
Read more at The Star
Hurrah, The Catholic church is starting to talk sense instead of brainwashing vulnerable worshippers.
Oh right so he finally figured out that he was talking tripe. Most always do. Glad he didn’t hold out on his silly minded opinion.
http://fc10.deviantart.com/fs45/f/2009/088/e/e/Pope_and_Condom_by_BenHeine.jpg
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http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NBATBjWmySg/ScTiKhXtkQI/AAAAAAAABzk/BbCaT0ZXpHQ/s400/pope+wearing+condom+peter+brookes+the+times+190309.jpg
Baby steps =-D
Now what about all those people who were condemned to burn in hell for using condoms? Since Pope Nazi has now seemingly changed his mind is it a case of “tough shit” for all those people? Religion poisons everything.
What a bigot, trying to make out that AIDS is only a problem because of homosexuality.
HALLELUJAH!!!
@Valis They’re catholic. They’ll have handy rituals to pray them out, like they do with purgatory.
Arthur C. Clarke is on his way to another win. In _Hammer of the Gods_, Clarke predicts that the world’s religious leaders are forced to see that contraception is the only way to protect the populace. Granted, he was mostly talking about population density, not disease, but like Jo says, baby steps.