My sensibilities are somewhat shaken by the fact that the church is right now saying that Condoms are causing the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs—such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV), and that the only solution lies in abstinence and monogamy. This is very disturbing, and human nature as it is means that there will be sex, and there will be relations outside of the marriage. I find it interesting that there are elements within the Church that used to debate the use of condoms to combat STDs. To date, it is not specifically addressed by Catholic doctrine, and is currently a topic of debate among theologians and high-ranking Catholic authorities. A few, such as Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, believe the Catholic Church should actively support condoms used to prevent disease, especially serious diseases such as AIDS. However, to date statements from the Vatican have argued that condom-promotion programs encourage promiscuity, thereby actually increasing STD transmission. Now however, the Pope on Tuesday he told reporters accompanying him on his trip to Africa that Aids “is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems”.
It is however refreshing to see that the Vatican has backed down on this stance on the Pope’s rejection of condoms as a means of preventing Aids. Is this a very rare admission of papal fallibility? In any case I feel the Church’s influence over social and religious opinion and morality will assist in at least lessening its condemnation on the use of contraception (condoms) as a way of preventing and lessening the spread of STDs and especially HIV and AIDs.
Original TimeOnLine Article Here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5934912.ece
