The Church comes kicking and screaming into the 1960s
Wonders never cease but it seems that the Pope is finally softening its ridiculous stance on the use of condoms.
Acoording to the Guardian the Pop has said in a new book that their use can be justified in some cases, such as for male prostitutes seeking to prevent the spread of HIV.
The pontiff makes the comments in a book-length interview with a German journalist, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," which is due to be published on Tuesday.
The church has long opposed condoms on the basis that they are a form of artificial contraception, while the Vatican has been harshly criticised for its position given the AIDS crisis. Benedict says in the book that, for male prostitutes for whom contraception isn't a central issue, condoms are not a moral solution. He also says that condoms could be justified "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection."
This is a major shift in position since last year when he told reporters while flying to Africa that condoms would not resolve the AIDS problem there but, on the contrary, increase it.
Austin Ivereigh, a British Catholic commentator "The Pope is not actually saying anything that would surprise moral theologians. What is surprising is that it is coming from the Pope… The church's teaching on contraception predates AIDS and predates new kinds of moral possibilities, which is that condoms can be used not as a means of preventing a conception but as a means of preventing transmission of a virus…Rome has been silent on this for some years. The difficulty has been how they can clarify this teaching without it looking like they are lifting the ban on contraception.
Well at long last. The Church’s attitude on contraception has been appalling.. Better late than never for this shift, I suppos
11 comments:
Wait, the Pope gets into the business of male prostitutes? Huh?!
Err now you mention it!
* is reminded of the old metaphor of rearranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic *
Quite. The Pontifucks or Pontisex [sorry, if the spelling does lack of perfectness. Never was good in Latin) Maximus in his dotage suddenly (sic!) became aware of that all those dirty altar boys might endanger the health of his Brothers in Love.
I can't top Sean's comment on this issue :-)
What is tragic is that, in the interview, Benedict wanted to stress that a reliance on condoms distracted from the need for proper education in sexual conduct. Who is going to teach sexual morality to the world? The Catholic Church? It makes me cry. With my Inuit friends who've been abused by priest and nuns.
Simply, one of the best article l have come across on this precious subject. I quite agree with your suppositions
and will eagerly look forward to your forthcoming updates.
Rather too little too late is'nt it Francis
Haha Sean, Pontisex.. I love it!
I agree Susan, it;s a great expression
What to say Claude? Perhaps now priest ill practice safe sex with their choirboys
I had thoughts along the lines of Sean's, but he expressed them MUCH better!!!
All bloody ridiculous. So glad I left the church as soon as I grew up and got a mind.
Me too Knatolee. It's a long time since I was a member of the Catholic Church
"Benedict wanted to stress that a reliance on condoms distracted from the need for proper education in sexual conduct"
Hmm... I was distracted from the need for education for many years, but never knew it's them condoms what caused it. I thought it's the girls...
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