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Will Catholic Church Offer Condoms After Mass?

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posted on Nov, 22 2006 @ 02:42 PM
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A study commissioned by Pope Benedict 16 on the use of condoms to fight AIDS has passed its first hurdle and is now being reviewed by top theologians for possible use in a Papal document."This is something that worries the Pope a lot" Cardinal Barragan, head of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care said.

The Catholic Church has historically opposed the use of condoms and teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence are the best ways to stop the spread of AIDS. The “just say No” approach is not working. The United Nations released a report the same day saying HIV infections were on the rise in all regions and that nearly 40 million adults and children are infected worldwide.

The Church fathers fear promoting condoms could foster immoral and hedonistic behavior that will contribute to the spread of AIDS. It still teaches that homosexual acts are sinful in the first place. Following the instructions of Pope Benedict, the Council conducted a careful study on condoms, both from a scientific and moral point of view, Cardinal Barragan told a news conference.

The Catholic Church Council has completed a 200-page study on condoms and passed it on to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which would add its own opinions. The study, still held in strict secrecy, would then be passed on to the Pope, who may use it for his own pronouncement. What can you say about condoms that takes 200 pages?

The Cardinal explained, "First, we must consider if there is a need for an answer on the use of condoms at the supreme level." He added the Council’s study was based on scientific data and "took all points of view" into consideration. "We hope the Holy Father will say what is best regarding this subject” and warned that “no response from the Church can be one that encourages a libertine sexual attitude." Barragan spoke at the presentation of a Vatican conference on the pastoral aspects on the treatment of infectious diseases and declined to answer any questions about the details on the study.

Several top Church officials have called for a review of Vatican policy on condoms with a view towards allowing their use only by married couples where one partner is affected by HIV or AIDS but not for birth control. The Vatican is reluctant to issue any official statement that could be misunderstood as a green light for the use of condoms only to stop the spread of AIDS, because it feared that would encourage sexual promiscuity. So said Cardinal Barragan. From a story by Reuters.


[edit on 11/22/2006 by donwhite]



 
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