There Still Aren’t Condoms In The Pope’s Carry On

Posted by: Amelia McDonell-Parry Filed in: news
9:30AM, Tuesday March 17th 2009

Comments (17)

Pope Benedict XVI Rejects Contraception Despite AIDS

“[The AIDS epidemic in Africa] is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems…. It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality…. The traditional teaching of the church has proven to be the only failsafe way to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids.”—Pope Benedict XVI

While it’s to be expected that the Catholic Church continues to have a conservative outlook on abortion and premarital sex, the fact the Pope is still unwilling to get behind the use of contraception to stop the spread of AIDS surprises (and appalls) many—especially as he embarks on a tour of Sub-Saharan Africa, where 22 million (that’s 67%) of the global total of 32.9 million people with HIV live. Nearly three quarters of AIDS deaths in 2007 were in the region. I wasn’t raised Catholic, so this doesn’t have any impact on my faith in God or whatever, but I do wonder how Catholics feel when Church leaders still take such a conservative position on this vital issue. Readers please share in the comments! [Guardian U.K.]

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Tags: condoms, hiv, aids, contraception, africa, pope benedict xvi

Comments (17)

comments

playsomebeat
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 09:35 am: [report]

If the Church can’t stand behind one of the solutions, then they shouldn’t address the issue at all. Fabricating the entire ordeal in order to conveniently twist it to their likings benefits no one.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 09:47 am: [report]

They have changed crap before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenical_Council

Why not now?

Amelia
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 09:57 am: [report]

@playsomebeat That’s an interesting perspective. Thanks for commenting!

@CheeeeEEEEse Agreed. Being against contraception may be a part of current Church doctrine, but as you’ve said, they’ve changed their positions on many things.

retro chic
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 10:22 am: [report]

If the Pope is only now recognizing the marvels of a washing machine (a la another Frisky article), what are the hopes of 86-ing a mortal sin in even our grandchildren’s lifetime? PLEASE don’t tell His Grace about benefits of the spin cycle.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 10:53 am: [report]

@retro chic Spin!?! No no, don’t forget to wash on cold so his hat doesn’t bleed and make his robes pink! (He sometimes wears a red hat I think, just not in that picture, or just don’t wash them with cardinals hats whatevs)

MarriedWhiteMale
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 11:39 am: [report]

Isn’t this the same Church that virtually stopped science and it’s progress for some 300 years? It ain’t gonna happen in many, many lifetimes!

powplz
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 12:06 pm: [report]

yeah pope, if only those silly africans would act like good Catholics, they wouldn’t have to deal with AIDS anymore - excellent assessment! No mention of the rape mentality for playing a big part in this either? Of course not. I mean, why bother saying something that makes sense or actually contributes to trying to solve a problem when you can blame the victims’ plight on their failure to be just.like.you.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 01:00 pm: [report]

@Kiki Ok, this is going to sound like a silly question, but are you drunk?

Lynn
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 02:59 pm: [report]

I grew up Catholic. I’m not practicing any longer and I’m all for bitch control. I just want to put that out there before I start defending them.

Basically, while I think it’s a shame that Catholicism is officially against birth control methods, I don’t *expect* them to be all for them because I *understand* where they’re coming from, even if I don’t agree. I respect their decisions and I also respect the fact that it pains them knowing that one thing that could help - a birth control method - is also something they believe to be evil and wrong. It’s not as if Catholics are up on their high horses feeling better than the HIV-infected Africans. They’re genuinely concerned, but condoms just aren’t something they’re OK with, and there are many reasons for that. So yes, for them it does make sense to say that if people did the “right” thing (by Catholic standards) and practiced abstinence, their chances of living the HIV hell would be severely cut down. And they think it’s a shame that so many people in Africa don’t follow Catholic teachings, so they try to do what they *can* do to help. But that doesn’t mean going against a core belief just because it would be more convenient.

As far as how Catholics feel about this…well, the conservative Catholics will be proud that their pope is taking the “right” stand against an issue they care deeply about.

fallenangel915
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 04:02 pm: [report]

They’re against birth control but they stand behind priests who molest little boys? Surely you jest.

elpee
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 06:51 pm: [report]

I am a church-going Catholic, and while I wouldn’t for a second consider adhering to the no-condom thing, I have noticed that priests I have talked to about issues like this and homosexuality are often more liberal than the Catholic Church. Priests want to be popular and well liked by their parish! So whether they actually think condoms are dangerous or not, I think they sometimes give in. Not all of them do, I know. I’d like to say that this liberal force of Catholics is getting stronger and could someday have serious pull on the Vatican Council, but I’m afraid that 1) Catholics, in the US, anyway, are getting more and more conservative and 2) the Vatican will take many many years to change its stance on condoms. So until then, I will go to mass Sundays, and be my own kind of Catholic, the kind who uses condoms and even believes that Jesus might have used them, were they available, because I’m not totally convinced he was a virgin.

retro chic
wrote on March 17 2009 @ 11:33 pm: [report]

@CheeeeEEEEse: the “spin cycle” was for the barefoot-and-pregnant housewives, giving them much needed floor-mounted, front-loading gyrating relief—ANOTHER mortal sin. That’s why our (grand)mothers’ laundry was so bitchen, and why you can’t tell the pope; he’ll institute washboards again.

——-

@joyy. I think you’re spot on—conform at all costs—it’s god’s will if you don’t. “I’m not god, I just play one in 6 billion real lives.” Dangerous, dangerous.

——-

@joyy. I think that’s spot on. How nice to play “god” in so many lives.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on March 18 2009 @ 08:25 am: [report]

@retro chic: Oh I got you. Nice metaphor.

retro chic
wrote on March 19 2009 @ 09:58 am: [report]

^CheeeeEEEEse: Ain’t no metaphor. ; *
——-
I wasn’t aware that being an especially delusional, ignorant and genocidal d-bag are papal job requirements—beyond the already archaic ones. The world’s Health org’s/gov’ts denounced His (dis)Grace’s “Dangerous Doctrinaire Vision.”

I’m thinkin’ his “No Condoms in Africa” tour has bombed worse than imagined. If someone like Obama’s evolved leadership could rise to stomp on Dubya’s act, there’s some hope for 86ing this pomp-ass.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on March 19 2009 @ 10:10 am: [report]

@Retro chic: You don’t think “Spin Cycle” is another thing to call crazy sex?

Lynn
wrote on March 19 2009 @ 12:53 pm: [report]

I would like to clarify that when I said I am all for “bitch control” I actually meant “birth control”

retro chic
wrote on March 19 2009 @ 10:22 pm: [report]

@CheeeeEEEEse: I don’t, but I can see you do. That’s all that matters. Bon lavage!